Little Moments
by Silverwing2012
Summary: Just little ConnorxEllie oneshots that are AUs of Tomahawks and Briefcases. They don't have anything with the original story and they're just other ways the two dorks could meet/fall in love/etc.
1. Ducklings

_**A/N: This was actually an idea I saw on tumblr. It was an idea of an AU where a character happens to stand next to their cute neighbor, who happens to be wearing boxers, at 3 am after a fire alarm. I imagined Connor and Ellie right away and I ran with it.**_

* * *

><p>She saw him almost every day, yet she didn't have the courage to just talk to him.<p>

Ellie would always shut the door to her apartment as she was leaving for class and look to see him locking his own or see his tall, broad form already walking down the hall toward the stairs.

To say her neighbor was cute would have been an understatement. Ellie couldn't remember a time she was this attracted to a guy. Connor Kenway was different from any guy she had ever seen. It was to the point to where she was nervous to even see him and that wasn't like her at all.

Ellie was hardly ever nervous and anxious about anything, but her heart thundered in a way she couldn't control when she was around her neighbor and she never worried about how someone saw her before. She unconsciously started to try to look her best when she walked out her door in the morning and her heart would drop when she didn't see him.

She had only been living at these apartments for a month now. They were convenient when it came to pricing and how close they were to campus so she jumped on the deal. She had first met Connor when she was moving in.

One of her boxes was particularly heavy and Ellie's petite frame wasn't enough to get it up the three flights of stairs. She practically slipped on a step and a large, tan hand happened to catch her.

"Are you okay?" a soft, deep voice asked.

Ellie whipped her head around to see who perhaps the tallest person she had ever seen was standing behind her. His dark hair was halfway pulled back and his dark brown eyes were wide with concern. Ellie even managed to see the splash of freckles that stood out on his skin, despite his darker complexion.

"Y-Yeah! Thanks," she managed to stutter out, trying to readjust her grip on the box.

"Do you need help?" he asked.

"No, I'm good. I—"

He was already scooping the box out of her hands before she could say anything. "What apartment?" he asked, nodding his head toward the stairs.

Ellie cleared her throat bashfully. "I'm up on the third floor. I'm so sorry you have to go out of your way."

"It's not. I live there too."

"Which apartment?"

"3B."

Ellie grinned and started to lead him up the stairs. "Well, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Ellie Johnston. I'm going to be living in 3C."

"Welcome to Creed Apartments then," he said with a soft smile.

They made it up to the third floor and they stopped in front of apartment 3C. He set the box down and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Do you need any more help?"

Ellie's couldn't help but smile at his now-bashful demeanor. "Actually, this was the last one. Thank you though."

"Oh."

They stood in an awkward silence for a few moments before Ellie finally cleared her throat again. "Well, I better get to unpacking. Thanks again."

Connor jerked his thumb toward his apartment door. "If you ever need help with anything, don't be afraid to knock."

Ellie was incredulous at first, arching a brow at him. She heard about overly helpful guys like this not being as helpful as they seem.

Connor noticed her look. "Oh! I'm not a crazy guy, I promise," he quickly said, holding his hands up, eyes going wide.

Ellie wasn't the type to be overly suspicious, so she wasn't. She laughed and picked up her box. "I believe you. Same goes to you."

That was a month ago and Ellie was now wondering how to approach her good looking neighbor. Should she bake him some cookies? Should she just knock on the door?

She sighed and collapsed into one the few chairs she owned. She had never thought so much about one guy in her whole life! Sure, she dated, but she was never nervous or shy there. Here, she almost didn't know what to do with herself.

Deciding to fix the situation once and for all, Ellie grabbed her purse and left to make a quick trip to the grocery store a block away. When she left, she stared at Connor's apartment. She ran into another problem at the grocery store. What in the world would he like? Peanut butter? No, he might be allergic. Funfetti? No, too sweet. Ellie stared at her many choices in the baking aisle at the store and she already felt overwhelmed. How hard was it to bake something for a guy?!

Granted, she never did specifically bake for any of the boys she liked in the past. _Stop thinking of it that way and just do it as a thank you. You're getting ahead of yourself,_ Ellie chided. She thought about the impression Connor gave her and she finally just grabbed a large bag of semisweet chocolate chips. He seemed like a simple guy, so a simple chocolate chip cookie would work. When she made it back to the apartments, she couldn't help but look at his door again as she was walking back.

Placing the ingredients she bought on the table, Ellie took a deep breath before pulling her light brown hair up into a messy bun before getting to work. Ellie never had a chance to bake that much anymore due to school and limited funds, but that didn't stop her love for it.

She had the dough whipped up in almost no time at all and she had the cookies in the oven in record time. She sighed and wiped the flour off her hands, staring down at the small clump of dough she had left. Shrugging, Ellie plucked a little out of the bowl and popped it into her mouth.

Leaning her hip against the counter, Ellie started to wonder about her neighbor. What did he do for a living? Was he as nice as he seemed? Was he going to school here? Why was he living alone?

The beeping timer from her phone pulled her out of her question reverie and he quickly took the cookies out. She turned off the over and smiled at the batch. They looked perfect and she couldn't wait to give them away, despite her nervousness to do so.

Unfortunately, time wasn't on her side. It was almost 10 o' clock and it would be too late to do anything of the sort.

Looks like the morning would have to do.

* * *

><p>Ellie chickened out the next morning.<p>

She had a good excuse though. She woke up late and she couldn't be late to the school she was a student teacher at. Being on her last semester of school was a relief and a burden at the same time somehow. Ellie hadn't been late yet and she wasn't going to break that tradition for some cookies that she could easily give away later.

The group of kindergarteners were more rambunctious than usual that day too and Ellie felt like she was dragging as she walked up the steps toward her apartment.

The cookies sat in their tub, completely forgotten, as she collapsed on her bed, still in her clothes.

* * *

><p>It was dark when Ellie woke up and she groaned when she looked at the clock. It was 1 in the morning and she still had homework to do. And she fell asleep in her nice clothes. She pulled herself out of bed and she changed into a comfy pair of sweats and a tank top. She padded out to the living room and pulled her laptop toward her and got to work.<p>

It was almost 3 by the time she was done and Ellie set her computer on the couch with a sigh. Well, she could take a Zzzquil and try to sleep some more at least.

A loud, blaring tone suddenly sounded throughout her apartment and she could hear the echo of many more right after it.

Without thinking, she stepped into her moccasins, grabbed her cellphone and keys, and raced out of the apartment. She hurried down the stairs to see a large group of sleepy people already standing in the complex's yard.

Ellie looked around and instantly felt bewildered. Why wasn't anyone panicking? Was it a false alarm?

She hugged herself and turned only to bump into Connor. Her eyes widened when she saw his open robe revealing a broad chest. The duckling boxers only made the sight in front of her even better.

"You okay?" he asked.

Ellie found herself floundering in those big, brown eyes and she barely managed to breathe out, "Yeah. You?"

Connor huffed out a laugh and Ellie felt a shiver go down her spine at the sound. His laugh had that breathy, soft sound that made her feel warm inside. "I'm fine. I was more worried about everyone else." He turned and looked up at the building. "I bet that it's a false alarm."

Ellie hummed in thought. If living in the dorms taught her anything, it was that it was not a false alarm usually. "I bet someone was doing something they weren't supposed to."

Connor glanced down at her. Ellie tried to keep her focus on his face and not on his open robe and boxers. His face wasn't a bad sight either.

His deadpan expression finally broke and he grinned. "Want to bet what it was?"

Ellie giggled and waved the idea away. "Nope, school teachers don't gamble."

"You teach?"

Ellie smiled sheepishly. "Well, I'm student teaching right now. I have a year to go before becoming official."

Connor nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I'm in the same situation right now. I'm a TA for some history classes at the campus nearby. I can't wait until I can teach myself."

So he was cute and smart. Ellie was in trouble. Before she could stop herself, she gestured to his boxers. "One of my kindergarteners would kill for those, by the way. He loves ducks."

Connor suddenly seemed to realize his state of undress and he quickly closed his robe, clearing his throat. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to—I normally wouldn't—"

He kept rambling on as he apologized and Ellie almost didn't know what to do with herself. This guy had to literally be somewhere around 7 feet tall and he was a shy mess in front of her barely over 5 foot frame.

He was too adorable.

His rambling was cut off by the voice of one of the firefighters on a loudspeaker. "Everything is safe folks. You may return to your homes."

Ellie's heart sunk a little. She finally got to talk to Connor more and it was cut short way too soon.

Connor walked her up to their floor and Ellie waved goodbye as she reached her apartment. The fatigue of her day was suddenly swamping her again and she needed to get to bed if she wanted to be ready for class tomorrow.

"Ellie?"

Ellie's hand froze before she could unlock her apartment. She looked up to see Connor stepping closer to her from his door. "I-I was wondering if you would like to get dinner sometime?"

His voice sounded so small and nervous and Ellie didn't feel bad about feeling nervous anymore. "I would love to."

Connor's eyes widened and he looked shocked. "Oh! Well, would Friday work for you?"

Ellie smiled and finally opened the door to her apartment. "Yes, it would."

Connor nodded and started to slowly back away. "I guess I'll see you Friday."

Ellie nodded and stepped into her apartment, waving at him shyly before closing her door. She collapsed back against her door with a beaming smile on her face.

Tonight was her lucky night.


	2. The Biker and the Bookworm

Connor thought everything was stupid.

This school was stupid

This class was stupid.

Mr. Lee was stupid.

And…the way he couldn't focus on anything but the girl in front of him was stupid.

Connor almost growled at the thought as he buried his face in his arms, trying to fall asleep like he normally did in this class. It wasn't that he hated English; Mr. Lee just happened to be the biggest douche bag on the planet and that was enough to make Connor stop caring.

His heart dropped at the thought. Midterm grades went out last night and his dad was going to lose his shit when he saw what grade Connor was getting in this class.

Luckily, Connor was able to fill up his bike yesterday so he didn't plan on going home anytime soon.

"Hey."

Connor lazily lifted his head and arched a brow at the girl in front of him, trying to keep his face as stoic as possible. There was no way he was going to blush now.

Her pretty green eyes met his and she held out a stack of papers. "This is a partner assignment, do you need a partner?" she asked as he took the stack of worksheets.

Connor took the top one and handed the rest to the kid behind him. _Why would she want to be my partner? We've barely talked all year._

He looked over at the seat where the girl she usually partnered with, Claudia, would sit. It was empty.

_Oh._

He looked back at her and nodded, resting his elbow on the desk and rested his chin on his palm.

"Okay, so this is over _Othello_. We must be going over that next," she said, giving him a small grin.

Connor felt his heart rate pick up and he nodded, letting her guide him through the assignment. He didn't really pay attention to the assignment. He paid attention to her instead. She mumbled aloud as she read the questions and occasionally asked for his input. The way she moved her hands as she talked and tapped her pencil against her lips as she thought was cute.

He didn't know why, but ever since Ellie Johnston sat in front of him at the beginning of the semester he couldn't help but watch her. He knew she was one of the goody-two shoes girls that he usually avoided, because-let's face it- those girls usually jumped to conclusions and didn't give him the time of day.

But, here she was, willingly being his partner and not seeming to care about it.

They finished their assignment about 15 minutes before the bell would ring, so he decided it would be a good time to nap.

Just as he rested his head on his arms, he heard, "What does the symbol on your jacket mean?"

Connor slowly brought his head up to meet her gaze again.

She bit her lip before starting to turn away. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked-"

"It's the logo of the garage I got my bike from," he answered, deadpanned. He thought she looked really cute when she bit her lip.

Ellie arched a thin brow and rested her elbow on his desk. "So, the rumors are true," she said with a teasing grin.

Connor sat up straight. "What rumors?" he asked, trying not to blush. Why was she paying attention to him? This wasn't right in the universe of Saratoga High School.

Not that Connor minded.

"Oh, that you're part of a biker gang and that you've been to jail twice," she said nonchalantly. "You also have been rumored to have eaten a duck whole."

Connor almost laughed. "Wow, so what gang am I part of?" he said sarcastically. Well, he had a group of friends that helped Old Man Achilles and Mario out at the shop, but they weren't a gang. Hell, Connor hardly knew what gangs really did. It was just him, Desmond, Ezio, and a few others just working on cars and having fun.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "I don't usually believe rumors. They must get that because you looked like you stepped out of _Sons of Anarchy_."

Connor snorted. He only saw one episode of that show and he thought it was stupid.

"So that leaves the other rumors. Have you been to jail?" she joked.

"Are you kidding me? If I went to jail I would still be there because my dad wouldn't bail me out," Connor chuckled. It was true, Haytham Kenway believed in learning from your mistakes and he usually took that to a ridiculous level.

"And the duck?" she asked, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"That's true."

Her eyes widened with disbelief before they narrowed suspiciously. "You're lying."

"You're right, I am."

Ellie put a hand over her mouth as she tried to hold back her giggles and Connor felt triumphant. He actually managed to talk to a girl and make her laugh without making a dick of himself.

And for the first time in history, he was disappointed when he heard the bell ring. Ellie picked up her book bag and smiled down at him. "See ya, Connor! We should talk more," she said, waving as she walked away.

Connor tentatively waved back, blinking in shock. She wanted to talk to him more? Grinning, he stood up and draped his leather jacket over his shoulder.

Not even the stink eye Lee gave him on his way out could ruin his mood.

* * *

><p>The others were waiting for him at the garage as he pulled up on his bike.<p>

"About time you get here asshole!" Desmond laughed, running up and putting him in a headlock.

Connor quickly brought his legs down so his bike wouldn't topple over and he shoved Desmond away with a laugh. "Unlike you, I actually go to school on Fridays," Connor retorted, swinging his leg over and kicking the stand out.

Desmond held out his pack of cigarettes, arching an expectant brow at Connor.

Connor took one and they leaned against the side of the shop. Connor lit it and stuck it between his lips.

"Altair is supposed to visit today. Jerk just has to have a steady job and all now," Desmond said, blowing a thin stream of smoke out.

Connor blew some smoke past his own lips, trying not to cough. He honestly hated cigarettes; he just let Desmond bully him into smoking whenever they hung out.

"Does he not have a case right now?"

Desmond shook his head, holding his cigarette between his fingers. "Nah, he doesn't. I just can't wait to show him my new Baby."

Connor glanced toward the new bike Desmond had helped Achilles build. It had a lithe, quick looking design. Its black paint job gleamed in the sun and the garage's red logo stood proud on the middle of it.

It looked completely different from the bike Connor helped Achilles build. His bike had a big, powerful frame that was still able to turn on a dime. The cobalt blue paint job with the white logo was Connor's favorite part of the bike.

Deciding it was time to stop relaxing; Connor tossed his cigarette to the ground and snuffed it out with the heel of his heavy boot. He playfully punched Desmond on the shoulder before making his way toward the entrance of the shop. "C'mon, Achilles might need help today."

He heard Desmond's grumble, but didn't pay any attention to it. He wasn't going to listen to Desmond's whining more than he had to.

The sounds of welding tools firing up and the clang of metal on metal ran throughout the garage. Connor made his way through and pushed the door to the office part open. The sounds from before became muffled as he shut the door behind him. "Old Man?" he called out.

"In here."

Connor walked toward the Achilles' office, not even bothering to knock before opening the door. "Do you need anything from us?" he asked.

Achilles groaned as he slowly stood up. "Actually, for once, no. You boys can go and do whatever today."

Connor nodded and moved to walk out of his office.

"Connor."

Connor halted in his tracks, glancing at the old man over his shoulder.

"How was school today? Are you doing well?"

Trying to not grimace, Connor turned and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm doing okay…except for in English. My teacher is a d…" he quickly trailed off before he could let the name slip out. Achilles didn't mind cursing; it was the disrespecting an authority figure part that pissed the old man off.

"I see. And, by the way, your father called about an hour ago. He wants you home before midnight."

Connor flinched, knowing that his report card was in the mailbox at home. "Did he sound…mad?"

Achilles smirked knowingly at him. "Connor, he just sounded concerned. Now, go have fun."

Connor escaped as quickly as he could and punched Desmond on the shoulder before walking out into the shop again. "Achilles said that he doesn't need help. Want to meet Ezio and Altair at the lake?"

Desmond whooped. "Hell yeah!"

The boys raced to their bikes and were on their way in no time.

* * *

><p>"What?!" Ezio laughed, almost falling off his bike.<p>

Connor shrugged, catching the can of cheap beer Altair tossed to him. "Yeah, she told me that people think we're some sort of biker gang or something."

"If we're a gang," Altair grumbled, "then I'm Jesus."

"You wish," Malik snorted.

"Maybe it's because we're so badass. Huh, Connor?" Desmond smirked, chugging his beer.

Connor arched a brow at him. "Hey numbskull, don't drink too much, you still have to drive home."

"Yes, Moooooom."

Connor rolled his eyes.

"So, Connor," Ezio said, sitting up straight.

Connor didn't like the look in Ezio's eye. That usually meant he was going to be embarrassed soon.

"Was this girl cute?"

Connor was glad his face was already flushed due to the chilly, autumn breeze.

Desmond suddenly perked up. "Wait, you said this girl sits in front of you in English?"

_Oh no._

"That's Ellie! Damn Connor, you know how to pick 'em."

Ezio scowled. "Wait, Ellie Johnston? As in my sister's best friend?"

_Shit._

Ezio suddenly stood directly in front of Connor with a grim look. "That girl is like another sister to me so if you hurt her I-"

"Jesus Ezio, I barely talk to her. I doubt she's interested anyway," Connor snapped. He hated it when people got in his face. It took every ounce of willpower he had to not shove Ezio away.

Ezio straightened and nodded in approval. "Good. I don't want to kick your ass like I had to kick Duccio's."

Connor flinched. Duccio was Claudia's last boyfriend and Ezio basically ripped him a new one when the guy cheated on her.

"Quit picking on the kid," Altair growled, throwing his cigarette in the dirt and stomping it out. He stretched and let out a long sigh. "Well assholes, I have to work tomorrow, unlike some of you."

He made his way up to his bike, which was parked up in the parking lot like it should be next to Malik's car, leaving the rest of them on the lake shore. He let out a wave as he swung his leg over his bike and zipped out of the parking lot.

"Unfortunately, I have to work too. Later losers," Malik grumbled, beginning to walk away as well.

As soon as he left, it was just Connor, Desmond, and Ezio.

"Damn, they have a point," Ezio sighed, throwing down his own cigarette.

Desmond groaned. "C'mon! Aren't you guys supposed to be having fun and shit now that you're out of high school? One year out and you guys are suddenly party poopers!"

Ezio arched a brow. "Because, Desmond, it's something called responsibility. And, frankly, I don't want to depend on my parents. So bite me."

Desmond waved the comment off. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

Ezio shook his head in amusement before punching Connor's shoulder playfully. "Hang in there."

Connor didn't fully know what Ezio meant by that, and he couldn't stop thinking about it as Ezio sped off on his bike.

"He means it you know," Desmond grumbled.

Connor stared at his best friend in confusion. "What?'

"He was talking about Ellie! Let me guess," Desmond rested his elbows on the seat of his bike, "You think she won't give you the time of day because you're the tall, dark, and intimidating guy, right?'

"Uh…"

"Dude, she's cool. She was my lab partner in chemistry and she's pretty chill about everything. Don't worry about it." He suddenly pulled his phone out of his pocket and smirked. "Speaking of girls, Lucy wants to hang out. Later!"

Before Connor could process what Desmond said, his friend was already zipping away on his new bike.

Connor stared out into the lake, watching the moon's reflection ripple on the water.

Damn, his friends were weird.

* * *

><p>Going home wasn't as bad as Connor thought it would be. He parked his bike in the parking lot and sighed, staring at the two story, brick house in the cul-de-sac.<p>

Connor had been living with his dad for about five years now; he could still remember the day he moved in perfectly. Connor remembered feeling petrified, not to mention worthless. His mom had died not even a month before that before he was shuttled off to Saratoga. The first couple months were rough, but Connor eventually got used to Haytham, and Haytham got used to Connor.

Connor kind of got along with him now, but that didn't mean everything was rainbows and butterflies.

Haytham hated motorcycles, for one, and Connor refused to drive anything else. Haytham also wanted Connor to college, when Connor just wanted to go to Tech school and work as a mechanic.

And, even though Connor hated to admit it sometimes, they were so alike that they irritated the shit out of each other.

He saw the light in the living room on and Connor decided it was time to stop avoiding what was going to happen.

He eventually got off his bike and finally walked inside.

"You're home early."

Connor halted in his tracks in the living room as Haytham flipped the top of his newspaper down. He set it to the side and picked up a folded piece of paper on the end table next to the ottoman.

"Mind explaining what a certain D on here represents?" Haytham asked, frowning.

Well, it's not an F.

"I just don't like that class," Connor grumbled, scuffing his boot on the plush carpet.

Haytham sighed and tossed the report card back on the table. "Connor, I have a proposal for you."

Connor arched a brow at that. His dad rarely 'proposed' anything. It was usually an order.

"If you get at least a B in all of your classes for the rest of the year, I'll pay for your tuition to any Tech school you want to go to."

Connor almost collapsed. What the hell?! "Are you serious?" Connor managed to choke out, sitting down on the couch.

He was dreaming. There had to be something in those cigarettes Desmond gave him.

Haytham leaned forward. "Dead serious. But that means you need to show me that you're willing to put some effort into something, even if you don't like it. I know that when you actually want to do something, you can do it, no matter what it is."

Connor was honestly surprised his dad had that kind of faith in him, but the gears in his brain were more focused on how he was going to achieve this goal. He knew he was doing well in his other classes. He actually didn't mind school. It was just Lee and English he hated.

How was he going to get his grade up by the end of the semester?

* * *

><p><em>Maybe this is part of my problem<em>, Connor thought to himself as he tried to look at the board instead of Ellie.

He couldn't help but stare at her, and he was beginning to feel like a creep because of it.

When he told Desmond of his dad's proposal, Desmond had what seemed like the perfect idea for once.

"_Get Ellie to tutor you! Claudia tells us she's smart and I'm sure she would do it! Besides, that means that you don't have to do too much work and you get to spend time with her._"

Connor wasn't so sure about the 'not having to do much work' part, but he liked everything else about that idea.

But, there was one problem.

How would he ask her?

Dammit. He sucked at this bullshit. The way he was able to easily talk to her Friday was a fluke.

The class ticked by slower than usual and Connor tried with all of his might to pay attention to the lesson and not on the girl in front of him.

The bell finally rang and Connor's heart pounded as he tried to muster up the courage needed for the situation. _Tech school. Keep thinking about tech school,_ Connor kept telling himself as he tapped Ellie's shoulder when they reached the hallway.

She turned around and her eyes widened when she saw him, but her surprised expression quickly turned into a bright smile.

_Oh God._

"Hey Connor, what's up?"

Connor mentally smacked himself into focusing again. "Uh, c-can I talk to you for a sec?" _Nice going, Kenway. You're stuttering. Just don't make an ass of yourself_, Connor growled to himself.

"Sure," Ellie said, "want to talk about it on the way to my locker? I gotta grab something."

He nodded, willing to do anything at the moment. They were halfway there before Connor finally said it. "I actually need your help."

"Hm? With what?" Ellie asked, giving him a bewildered look.

Connor tried to not think about how cute she looked today as he scrambled for a smooth way to ask her to tutor him. She had on an oversized, green sweater over skinny jeans and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun. Shit. "Uh-well-I need to get my grade up in English."

Ellie arched a thin brow. "That bad, huh? Sure, I can help," she said with a good natured smile.

Connor blinked in surprise. She actually agreed?! "Seriously?"

They reached her locker and she shrugged as she put in her combination. "Well…you obviously care if you're looking for help. Besides, why wouldn't I want to?" she asked, giving him a teasing grin.

Connor felt his cheeks flush from her grin and he looked away, crossing his arms as he leaned against the lockers. Most of the juniors in the locker bay were giving him a wide berth and giving him weird looks. He didn't care as long as they didn't get in his face.

He suddenly thought of a smooth way to respond. "I'm part of a biker gang remember? You wouldn't want to get mixed up with the likes of me."

Ellie's laugh caused a surge of pride to fill him. Again, he made her laugh without making a dick of himself. "True, and the fact you ate a duck whole doesn't help," she joked with a wink.

She grabbed her coat and shoved a few books into her bag before gently closing her locker. "So, when do you want to do this? Just telling ya, I won't be able to on Mondays or Wednesdays. I've got stuff going on those days." She shrugged her coat and bag on.

Shit, Connor didn't think that far ahead. "Uh, when do you want to? I don't really know how this goes."

They started to walk toward the student parking lot.

"Usually a time after school would be good. I don't know about you, but I don't think either of us wants to talk about English on the weekends," she said, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand.

"So…what days do you want-"

"How about Tuesdays and Thursdays after school? And where do you want to do this?" she asked, digging through her book bag.

"Uh…my house?" Connor suddenly realized that his dad would most likely see them studying and it would only prove to Haytham that he was taking his proposal seriously. What could be more perfect?

"Okay, let's start tomorrow. I'll just follow you after school, 'kay?" she agreed with a bright grin.

She began to walk toward the other end of the parking lot, waving to him as she walked away. "See ya tomorrow!"

Connor waved back and it felt like there were a bunch of butterflies in his gut. He felt a stupid grin come to his face and he didn't even bother to hide it as he walked over to his bike, which was parked next to Desmond's.

"You actually frickin' did it. I'm so proud of you dude!" Desmond laughed, holding up his hand.

Connor high fived him and swung his leg over his bike. "Yeah, I did."

"You'll get that grade up in no time! Now let's go see if Achilles needs our help. I feel like we haven't done anything in a while."

The boys zipped out of the parking lot, and all Connor could think about were twinkling green eyes the whole way to the shop.

* * *

><p>The next day, all Connor could feel was nervousness.<p>

There was no way he could do this. His dad was going to tease him forever if he saw them, not think that he's trying to uphold his side of the deal. Not to mention that he would be spending time _alone_ with Ellie.

Connor almost slammed his head against his locker before English. He had to pull himself together or he could just wave tech school goodbye.

"Hey! Injun!"

Connor clenched his fists as Thomas Hickey's annoying, loud, and obnoxious voice slowly got closer. He turned and started to walk down the hallway, hoping that Hickey would just forget it if he walked away long enough.

"I'm talkin' to you Red-skin!"

Connor kept walking. There was no way he was going to get in a fight and get suspended now. Not with Tech School on the line.

Thomas Hickey could piss off for all he cared.

"Can you not hear you dumbass in-"

The heavy hand landing on his shoulder did it. Connor was proud to say that both of his grandfathers served in various parts of the army. Grandpa Edward served in the British Navy before moving to America after his service and his Tóta served among the Navy Seals. That being said, he knew some tricks from both of them.

Twisting his arm around, Connor easily threw Hickey's hand off of him and shoved him away while kicking one of his feet out from under him. Hickey fell with a yelp, glaring up at Connor.

"You motherfuc-"

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood today," Connor growled, promptly turning on his heel and walking away before any teachers came and inspected what was going on.

Nothing pissed Connor off more than being called any of the slang words Hickey threw out just then. His people were more than those labels. His people had a culture and lifestyle that was significantly different from others. They weren't just some 'Red skins' hanging out in damn teepees. Mohawks didn't even use teepees!

Dammit! He should have punched Hickey in the mouth while he had the chance.

He tried to calm down before he got to English. He didn't want Ellie to see him this way and he also didn't want to give Lee the opportunity to give him shit.

The whole class was chattering away as he walked in, but they quickly fell silent as they saw him. Shit.

He quietly and calmly made his way to his seat, hoping that he looked indifferent instead of upset.

"Are you okay?"

Shit.

Ellie was giving him a concerned look. "Sorry, I just saw what happened in the hallway as I was making my way here. He said horrible things."

Jesus, this girl was a Godsend.

"It's fine. It happens all the time," he grumbled, trying to not look her in the eye.

"That doesn't mean its okay," she said quietly, causing him to look at her in surprise.

Wow, she actually looked concerned.

She quickly turned around as Lee walked in the room and Connor tried to pay attention again. Basically, the lesson today was that a guy named Iago in _Othello _was a dick and that killing your wife was a bad idea no matter what.

He made his way out into the hallway as the bell rang, hoping to make a quick escape before anyone could give him any more weird looks.

"Connor!"

Connor turned to see Ellie quickly walking toward him. "You ride that big, dark blue bike right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, so I'll just follow you then?" she asked, hitching her bag higher on her shoulder.

"Y-yeah, that's fine."

"Great! I'll meet you out in the parking lot," she chirped with a smile.

Connor stared after her, wondering why she was so nice to him. Not that he minded. He thought back to what she said about earlier. _That doesn't mean its okay._

Desmond was 100 percent right about her.

All of Connor's earlier nervousness returned and it came back with a vengeance. He could feel his palms starting to sweat and his stomach felt like it was riding a roller coaster.

Due to this, he didn't see Hickey and the gang waiting near the door of the school.

He grunted when rough hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him around the corner of the building the cameras couldn't see.

Hickey slammed him up against the rough brick. "You're going to pay for embarrassing me you Injun!" he snarled.

His friends, Benjamin Church, Thomas Biddle, and a couple others were sneering at Connor.

Rage started to boil up in Connor's gut and his last thread of patience snapped.

He quickly brought his knee up and slammed it into Hickey's groin. As Hickey began to hunch over in pain, Connor quickly brought his hand around and slammed his fist into Hickey's eye.

The other dicks joined in, but Connor was on a roll now. He punched Church in the nose, making sure to not hit hard enough to break it. Bruises were easy to blow off, a broken nose wasn't. Church was momentarily stunned from the blow and Connor was able to grab the collar of his shirt and shove him into the wall of the school.

The other guys ran away, racing toward their cars.

Unfortunately, Biddle was able to get a hit in and Connor grunted as Biddle's fist connected with his mouth.

He could taste the blood already and he was slowly getting more pissed off by the second.

"Hey! Back the fuck off assholes!"

Thank God for Desmond.

Desmond easily shoved Biddle away and the two boys glared at the other three. Hickey now supported a black eye and Church's nose was bleeding and there was a scrape on his forehead. Biddle just looked plain pissed off.

"Hey Hickey, won't you get expelled if you get caught in another fight?" Desmond reminded with a wolfish smirk.

"Fuck you Miles, this has nothing to do with you," Hickey spat.

"Hey fuckhole, you mess with Connor, you mess with me. Now get the fuck out of here before I decide to tell Ezio and the others what happened."

Hickey's face literally paled and the other's looked like they pissed themselves. Ezio was well known for his ass kicking skills, not to mention that Altair was the scariest thing on the planet when he was pissed. Malik was even worse than Altair. Connor wished that the three of them didn't graduate last year so they could see this.

"You win this time Injun!" Hickey growled, stomping away toward his truck. The other boys slowly followed, glaring at Desmond and Connor over their shoulders.

"Jesus, what happened this time?" Desmond asked, eyeing Connor's lip in worry.

Connor wiped the back of his hand on his mouth and sighed when he saw how much blood was on it when he pulled away.

"I knocked him on his ass after he called me some names today and he was sore about it," Connor grumbled, walking toward his bike.

Desmond followed behind. "Dude, you need to get that looked at, it looks like shit."

Connor grunted and looked toward his bike, blinking in surprise to see a '64 red Volkswagen bug parked next to it.

"Holy shit, that's Ellie's car. Were you guys supposed to do your thing today?"

Shit, now Ellie was going to see him with a busted lip.

Deciding to just get the humiliation over with, he walked over toward the driver's side of the bug. Ellie rolled down her window and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him. "Holy cow! What happened?" she exclaimed, leaning out the car window to get a better look.

"Hickey was being a douche. Do you still want to come over? Even though-"

"Well, yeah! I can also help you with that split lip. Let's get a move on before it gets worse," she said, sitting back and rolling up her window again.

Connor shrugged and quickly got on his bike, waving goodbye to Desmond, who was now giving him a thumbs up from his own bike.

Connor was almost tempted to flip him the bird.

* * *

><p>Connor made sure to drive extra safe on his way home. He didn't turn corners as sharply as he usually did and he didn't try to beat out yellow lights either.<p>

They made it back to his house and he let out a sigh when he didn't see his Dad's Fusion sitting in the driveway.

Ellie parked behind him and slowly got out. She tentatively walked toward him and Connor suddenly realized that his mouth was set in a hard frown. Dammit. The last thing he wanted to do was make her nervous around him.

"Sorry about earlier," he mumbled, feeling ashamed.

She studied him for a moment before putting her hands on her hips. "Why are you sorry? Anyway, I want to make sure you don't need stitches so let's get inside."

Connor nodded and got off his bike, leading her toward the front door. The nervousness from earlier came back, replacing the anger he felt the whole ride there. What if Ellie didn't like his house? How was this tutoring thing going to go? What did she mean when she said she could help him?

He opened the door for her and let her walk in before leading her into the kitchen. "Uh, we can hang out in here," he said, gesturing to the table sitting nearby.

"Okay, do you have a first aid kit?" she asked, setting her book bag in one of the chairs.

"Um…yeah, I'll go get it," he mumbled, hurrying toward the bathroom.

He halted and looked at himself as he saw his reflection. Damn, his lip looked bad. The corner was split and there was dried blood on his face. He grimaced and grabbed the first aid kit from the medicine cabinet, hurrying back to the kitchen.

Ellie was drying off her hands with a paper towel when he returned. She looked up at him with a grin. "Alright, I just need to you to sit on the counter or something really quick."

Connor set the kit on the counter next to the sink and he easily hopped up and sat beside it.

Ellie opened the kit and took out a packet.

Connor inwardly winced when he saw that it was a disinfecting wipe.

"This might sting a bit," she apologized, gently grabbing his chin with one hand and dabbing at his lip with the other.

Connor's skin tingled where she touched him and his heart began to race at a mile a minute. "So when did you become a doctor?" he asked, trying to keep his lips from moving too much.

Ellie rolled her eyes at him as she kept dabbing away.

A hiss escaped from between his teeth when she touched it directly to where his lip was split. "Sorry! I work as a lifeguard in the summer. This honestly isn't the first split lip I've helped with. The other one was caused by wet concrete rather than a jerk's fist though."

Connor had to keep himself from grinning. The last thing he wanted was scars like Altair, Ezio, and Desmond. He started to imagine Ellie in a lifeguard suit and he had to stop thinking about it so he wouldn't blush.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking," she asked, tossing the rag away before grabbing a dry paper towel.

Connor inwardly flinched. Shit. "Hickey didn't like how I embarrassed him earlier apparently," he grumbled.

She hummed in thought as she dried off his lip with the paper towel. "Did he do this? Or was it one of his jerk friends?"

Connor stared at her in surprise as she set the paper towel down and walked toward his fridge. She opened the freezer and got on the tips of her toes as she searched for something. Connor suddenly realized how tiny she was as she hopped a little to try to see the back of the freezer.

Holding back a chuckle, he got down from the counter and reached over her head and grabbed the icepack sitting at the back of the freezer.

She turned around and pouted up at him. "Jeez, you're too tall," she grumbled. Her eyes twinkled with amusement.

Connor felt his heart thud in his chest and he couldn't stop the blush from reaching his cheeks this time. He suddenly realized how close he was standing to her as she looked up at him with a teasing look.

Clearing his throat, he quickly shut the freezer and stepped away.

"Keep that pressed to your mouth. A swollen split lip is worse than just a split one," she ordered, making her way toward the kitchen table.

Connor pressed the icepack to his mouth and slowly followed her.

She already had her textbook, her copy of _Othello_, and a notebook set out on the table before he sat down beside her. He reached for his own bag and set his own textbook on the table.

"Okay, so what did you get from today's lesson?"

Connor never enjoyed English more.

* * *

><p>For the next few weeks, Connor slowly started to get better grades on Lee's assignments and he felt confident that he would be able to get that B by the end of the semester. Plus, he was learning more and more about Ellie every time she tutored him.<p>

He found out that she loved to bake, and that she wanted to be a teacher someday. He knew she would be good at it from the way she was helping him. She also hated being cold and her favorite thing to do in her free time was to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and a book.

He also was ecstatic when she started to ask about the reservation he used to live on. Before he lived with his dad, Connor had lived on a Mohawk reservation with his mom and it he missed it almost every day.

On this particular Thursday in November, she was asking him about his people's language. They had just finished talking about _To Kill a Mockingbird_ for their tutoring session and they were just killing time now.

As the weeks passed, Ellie started to stay over for longer and longer periods of time and Connor loved it.

"So, did you know how to speak Mohawk before English?" she asked, taking a sip from her mug of hot chocolate.

Connor nodded before taking a sip from his own mug. "Yeah. Mom said I used to irritate my teachers when I would reply in Mohawk instead of English."

Ellie giggled and leaned back in her chair, giving him a playful look. "Say something in Mohawk, please?" she asked.

Like Connor wouldn't do anything she asked. "Ontiátsi ne' kí:ken."

"What did you say?"

He pointed at her. "This is my friend."

Ellie beamed at him and Connor felt his heart start to race again for umpteenth time.

"How do you say 'hi'?" she asked, setting her mug aside and hugging her knees to her chest.

"Kwhe."

"Bye?"

"Ó:nen ki' wáhi."

"Thanks?"

"Nia:wen."

"Mom?"

"Ista."

"Dad?"

"Raké:ni."

She paused and Connor swore he could see a blush on her cheeks before she softly asked. "Don't think I'm weird, but how do you say 'I love you'? I think it's cool to hear that in other languages."

Connor's heart was going at hyper speed now. "Well, uh, we say 'Konnorónhkhwa'."

Ellie studied her for a moment. "That sounds…really nice, actually. It's better than some other languages I've heard."

"Like what?" Connor asked. He knew about the phrase in Spanish, but that was it.

"I used to like French the most, but I think this became my new favorite."

Connor put that little fact on the list of things he knew about her.

She tilted her head, an action that Connor had grown to like, and she asked, "Is it rude to ask if you have a Mohawk name too?"

Connor shook his head. Even if it was rude to ask, he knew she wouldn't mean it that way. "It's Ratonhnhaké:ton."

"Rato-what?" she giggled.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton," he said, making sure to say each syllable slowly.

"Does it mean anything?" she asked, looking curious.

"Life that is scratched," he admitted.

"That's really cool," Ellie said with a smile.

That sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Ellie had her mug in her hands again and Connor with his elbow propped up on the table.

Connor suddenly wondered if now would be a good time to ask what he wanted to ask for the longest time. _No, she would just say we're just friends. Don't put yourself in that situation,_ he growled to himself.

_Or you could grow some balls and just ask her out on a date_, a voice that strangely sounded like his dad's replied in his mind.

Deciding to listen to the second thought, Connor took a deep breath. "Uh…E-Ellie?"

Her eyes met his and Connor's mind momentarily went blank. His stomach felt like it was on a roller coaster again and his heart was going to bust out of his chest any second now. "W-would you like to go somewhere with me tomorrow?"

Shit.

_Smooth Kenway strikes again_, he growled to himself, _what the hell was that?!_

"Go somewhere?" she asked with a teasing grin.

Connor almost frowned. He had the slight idea that she knew what he meant.

"I'd love to," she said, taking another sip from her mug.

Connor stared at her in surprise, wondering what to say. _She actually said yes?! Am I awake right now?_

"Cat got your tongue?" she giggled, looking at him over the rim of her mug.

Clearing his throat, he shook his head.

"So what time are we 'going somewhere' tomorrow?" she asked, tilting her head with a shy grin.

"Uh…5:30?" he asked.

"Sounds good to me," she said, getting up from her chair.

She set the mug in the sink and Connor couldn't stop staring at her. He couldn't believe his luck. She actually agreed to go on a date with him.

He suddenly realized she was getting ready to leave as she put on her coat and started to pick up her book bag.

He quickly hurried over to the front door and held it open for her. She paused in front of him and looked up at him with another shy smile. "Bye," she said before standing on the tips of her toes and pressing her lips to his cheek.

Connor felt like his whole body was ready to self-combust as she hurried out to her car.

She waved to him as she pulled out and he had to remind himself to wave back.

When she was way out of sight, he finally closed the door and collapsed back against it with a goofy grin.


	3. Coffee Shop: Part 1

Connor leaned on the counter, staring intently at a certain corner of the Starbucks. There she was again. She came in almost every morning, Ezio rang her up, and then she would sit in that corner and read the whole time she was there.

Her hair was down today, falling in waved around her shoulders and partway down her back. She bit her lip as she read her book.

Today was different. She didn't order right away. She just went to her corner and started reading.

"Whatcha looking at amico?" a teasing voice suddenly said in his ear.

Connor jumped, frowning at Ezio over his shoulder. "Nothing."

"Liar. Just go up and talk to her," Ezio said, smirking as he rested his elbows on the counter.

Connor shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ezio shrugged. "Whatever. She orders a Caramel Macchiato every day. She said it was her favorite." He walked away, chuckling.

Connor made a face at his back, looking at the girl again. She looked familiar. Connor knew he saw her on campus a few times.

She pulled her light brown hair over one shoulder before turning the page in her book.

Connor took a deep breath and started to make a Caramel Macchiato. He drizzled the caramel on, wondering why he was doing this. He usually didn't really pay attention to girls or anything like that. He was always more focused on school and his job. He popped the lid on the cup, peeking at the girl.

She was still immersed in her book.

He glanced at the finished coffee and then back at her, heart hammering in his chest. He picked it up, walking out from behind the counter.

He stopped beside the table, mentally hitting himself. This was a stupid idea.

She looked up at him in mild surprise, grinning a little. "Hello," she said, cocking her head a little.

Her voice was a mellow alto, and it calmed him down a little for some reason.

Connor cleared his throat, holding out the coffee. "I-I was told this was your favorite."

Her dark green eyes widened in surprise at the cup. "What?"

Connor rubbed the back of his neck, setting the coffee on the table. "I was told by my friend that you liked Caramel Macchiatos," he mumbled.

This was a dumb idea. He shouldn't have done it.

She looked up at him again. "Thank you, but I didn't pay for it."

"It's on the house!" he quickly said, clasping his hands behind his back. This was why he didn't talk to girls often.

She glanced at the coffee and then back at him. "Wow, thank you," she paused, looking at his nametag, "Connor?"

Connor nodded, clearing his throat roughly. "A-and what's your name?"

She grinned, taking a sip of the macchiato. "Ellie."

Her eyes widened. "Dang, this is the best macchiato I ever had," she said, winking up at him.

Connor could feel the heat creeping up his neck. "I'mgladyoulikeitbye!"

He retreated back behind the counter, scurrying to the back room, where Ezio was holding his sides in laughter.

"You actually did it!"

Connor punched his shoulder, peeking at Ellie around the doorframe. She was smiling and holding the coffee. Her gaze returned to her book, smile growing wider.

Connor sighed in relief.

He was the reason for that smile; it was a start.


	4. Coffee Shop: Part 2

Connor finished cleaning the chalkboard, glancing at the empty chairs of the coffee shop. He wished Ellie would show up, but he knew he would do what he always did if she walked through the door.

He would hide in the store room and try to ignore Ezio's teasing.

He rewrote the menu, sighing a little as he finished. He never was good at talking to girls he thought were pretty.

"Connor."

Connor glanced over his shoulder to see Altair. Altair gestured with his thumb to the counter. A tray with napkin dispensers was on it. "Can you put those back on the table? Ezio just got done filling them up."

Connor nodded and picked up the tray, getting to work. He took his time, resetting all of the items on the tables the same way as he went along. The bell on the door chimed and he ignored it. Ezio or Altair would help the customer.

He didn't have to worry about it.

* * *

><p>Ellie glanced at the tall boy setting napkin dispensers on the tables. She couldn't get him off her mind ever since he gave her that free macchiato. She bit her lip. She had thought that he would pay more attention to her after that, but he seemed to avoid her whenever she walked in. She didn't know whether he was shy or something else.<p>

She walked up to the counter, sighing as she looked at the menu.

"_Cara_, what's wrong?" Ezio asked.

Ellie arched a brow at her friend's brother. Since Ellie was an only child, Claudia, Ezio, and the other Auditores have been the closest thing she could have to siblings for years. Ezio and Federico took on the protective big brother roles for her.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me. And seriously, what's wrong?" Ezio asked, moving to make an iced coffee.

Ellie leaned against the counter, glancing back at Connor…that was his name right? She hadn't seen his name tag and she really didn't have time to process his words when he talked to her that one time.

"It's the Forest Fruit isn't it?"

Ellie looked back at Ezio. _Forest Fruit?_

Ezio laughed at her expression. "That's my nickname for him. It's him isn't it?"

Ellie sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "Yeah…"

"He's shy as hell. Good luck tesora."

So he was shy. "Ezio…what should I do? He hides when he sees me."

Ezio set the iced coffee down on the counter, rubbing his chin in thought. He suddenly smirked, snapping his fingers. "Go to the bathroom after this and come out in five minutes. I'll make sure he's out here."

Ellie arched a brow, handing him five dollars. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

When Ezio smirked like that, it meant somebody was going to be embarrassed somehow.

"Just trust me. Now go!"

Ellie rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom, wondering what the idiot was up to.

* * *

><p>Connor leaned against the counter, holding the tray under his arm. Ezio started to saunter up to him. Oh no.<p>

"Can you man the counter for a while? I have to make a phone call," he asked.

Connor waved him off, nodding. "Who are you calling?"

"My sister. I forgot my change of clothes so I'm asking her to bring them."

Connor rolled his eyes. Ezio always forgot.

Ezio smiled and walked toward the back room, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket.

Connor shook his head and looked around the empty shop. It was a Wednesday afternoon so it was almost dead. Connor lazily let his head fall back and he stared at the ceiling. _I hate Wednesdays._

"Hey Connor."

Connor stiffened. That voice. It was…

He peeked out of the corner of his eye, seeing Ellie leaning against the counter. She was holding an iced coffee in her hands and bashfully grinning up at him.

Connor almost dropped the tray.

Ezio's laughter could be heard from the store room. "Altair! You owe me ten bucks! He froze!"

"I don't owe you shit! Get back to work!"

Connor felt his neck and ears heat up in embarrassment. _What should I say? She's just staring at me. Should I just say hi? Oh no it's too late for that. Oh God what should I do?!_

"I just wanted to thank you for the free coffee from a while back again. It really brightened my day," she said, biting her lip.

Connor nodded almost robotically. _SAY SOMETHING!_

"Uh…yeah."

"So, can I buy you one sometime?" she asked, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

Connor's heart leapt up to his throat. "Y-yeah. S-sure."

Ellie grinned, sitting up straight. "Okay! Tomorrow?"

Connor nodded stiffly. Was this actually happening?

"Great! See ya!" she said, turning and walking toward the door.

Connor stared at the door for about five minutes, not even paying attention to Altair and Ezio's argument.

"Connor, give me the tray!"

Connor set the tray on the counter, not looking away from the door.

A yelp of pain caused him to look toward his boss and co-worker.

Altair had the tray in his hands and Ezio was rubbing his head, scowling at the older man. "Stronzo."

BAM!

Connor grinned. He loved Wednesdays now.


	5. Complete 180

Connor just had the crappiest day of his life.

His first day as a detective had gone horribly awry and he wanted to ground to swallow him up. He thought that his time serving on the Navy Seals and working the beat would have given him the confidence to be good at his new job.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. He lost his cool when a man he was helping interrogate started to use the usual slurs toward his ethnicity.

Connor sighed and looked at the time on his watch. It was almost 3 in the morning and he had nowhere to go. The little dilapidated diner he always passed by on his way to his apartment every day was sitting on the corner and Connor figured a cup of coffee and a piece of pie wouldn't hurt at the moment.

He stamped his feet to get all the loose snow off his boots before opening the door.

The little bell above the door chimed, causing the waitress behind the counter to lift her head up and look at him.

Connor nodded to her and took a seat in one of the bar stools at the counter. He twiddled his thumbs, letting out a long sigh. What was he doing with his life? If he couldn't keep his cool during his job, he wasn't going to be good at it. Period.

The click of the waitress' shoes on the tile pulled him out of his reverie, and it was the only sound besides the old 50s music playing out of the speakers.

"Would you like something to drink?"

Connor looked up and time seemed to stop. The waitress was much prettier than he noticed before. Her light brown hair was halfway pulled back into a small bun, leaving the rest to fall in soft waves past her shoulders. Her green eyes looked tired—whose wouldn't at this time in the morning?— but they had a spark in them that made them seem alive. Her smile was polite, but Connor suddenly found himself wondering what a full on smile from her would look like.

"Sir?"

Connor suddenly realized that he was staring and he cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Sorry! I'll have a coffee, please."

"Coming right up."

Connor sighed and plucked a menu from the nearby stack, trying to find the list of pies the diner sold. Great, now she probably thought he was a typical weirdo that came in at this time.

"I've never seen you here before, what brings you here?"

Connor looked up from his menu in surprise as she poured the coffee into the mug she had set in front of him. Ah hell, it wouldn't hurt to talk about it. It's not like he would ever see her again. "I—uh—Well, I didn't have a good shift at work…so now I'm here."

The waitress tilted her head in curiosity, and Connor found the action cute. "What happened?"

Connor arched a brow at her, causing her to let out a soft laugh.

"I'm basically the stereotypical bartender when I work this shift. I promise to keep it a secret," she giggled, turning and setting the pot of coffee on the warmer behind her.

Should he just tell her? The tired, cranky voice in his head told him to just do it. Again, it wasn't like he was ever going to see her again. "I'm a detective. One of the men we interrogated started to say…things about me and I lost my cool. So, I just got my ass chewed."

She turned back around, resting her forearms on the counter beside him. "I'm sorry to hear that. Everyone gets a stern talking to every once in a while though. My dad always told me that was part of being an adult."

Connor huffed out a laugh. "Sounds just like my dad."

The waitress grinned at him. "So, you're a detective huh? Why haven't I seen you come in here with the other police officers? I basically know most of the force."

Come to think of it, most of the officers Connor worked with had mentioned this diner. He also remembered a few of the officers talking about a pretty waitress that happens to work the night shift there.

Connor wondered if this was the waitress they were talking about. "I don't go out often. It's…just not what I do."

It was true, unfortunately. Connor would work and immediately head back to his apartment at Davenport Ridge and spend the rest of his day there. He did that so he could focus on his career and nothing else. But, now that he was where he wanted to be, he had no idea what he was going to do in his free time now.

The waitress flashed another grin at him. "Well maybe you should! Being around friends and stuff helps with days like today."

Connor took a sip of his coffee with a grin of his own. It might just be his tired mind playing tricks on him, but he was actually considering what she was saying.

It had been a while since he talked to Clipper and Dave.

"Thanks, I might actually do that."

A comfortable silence fell over them while Elvis crooned softly from the speakers. "Do you have pie right now? Or is that only for normal hours?" Connor asked when he finally decided what kind he wanted.

"I just might have a few slices," the waitress replied with a wink.

Connor felt the back of his neck heat up and he quickly ordered a slice of apple pie before she could notice. Damn, he never was good at talking to pretty women.

She returned with the pie quickly and set it in front of him. She then got to work on wiping off the counter and restocking the napkins and other various things.

Connor was at war with himself as he occasionally glanced at her petite frame. He wanted to talk to her some more, but how to do so? Like the idiot he was, he blurted out the first thing that popped into his head. "So, are you just a waitress or is this a side job?"

The waitress glanced at him over her shoulder. "Oh, I only work this shift on the weekends. I'm a student at the university nearby."

"Oh."

The silence was awkward this time. Connor quickly finished his pie and moved to get his wallet out.

"That'll be five dollars and 45 cents," she said, moving toward the cash register.

Connor got up and paid, wondering how to ask what her name was. He couldn't leave without knowing. Dammit, he really needed sleep, he usually wasn't like this.

Right as she rang him up, another girl wearing the same uniform stepped into the diner. Her light blonde hair was in disarray. "Hey Ellie! Sorry for being so late! Go home and get some sleep girl."

The waitress, Ellie, waved it off. "It's okay, Luce. It's only 10 minutes," she said with a kind smile.

Ellie handed Connor his change with polite grin. "I'm willing to listen again if you're ever out this late again," she said shyly, blushing a little.

Connor felt like he just got shocked. She…wanted to talk to him again?

She gave him a little wave before walking toward the kitchen.

Connor grinned and shrugged his coat on, stuffing his pockets as he stepped out into the bitter cold again. He didn't get that far before the sound of a door banging shut and the patter of tiny feet caused him to look back.

Ellie was now walking down the sidewalk behind him, burying her face in the scarf she had wrapped around her neck.

Connor frowned. She didn't drive? It wasn't safe for a young woman to be walking at this time. His time as a police officer opened his eyes to that problem quickly.

"Uh, miss?"

She looked up and her green eyes widened. "Oh, hey!"

Connor scuffed his boot on the ground and cleared his throat. "Can I walk you home? It's not safe at this time."

Ellie tilted her head a little, narrowing her eyes. "Well, I guess you can. You being a detective and all."

Connor's inner panic was swept away when she winked at him before she continued walking. Connor shook his head and caught up with her.

"So what's your name?" she asked, glancing up at him.

"Connor. Connor Kenway. Ellie, right?"

"Yeah, Ellie Johnston."

They walked in a tense silence. Well, it was mostly tense because Connor gave every dark alley they passed by a hard look.

"So, you're a detective? What kind?"

Connor looked back at her with a shrug. "I'm hoping to specialize in homicide or missing persons. What are you studying at school?"

Ellie tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear bashfully. "Well, I'm an Education major. I'm hoping to student teach next semester."

"What age group?" Connor asked, narrowing his eyes at another alleyway.

"Elementary school. I'm hoping to teach kindergarten or first grade."

Ellie turned to start walking into Davenport Ridge, but stopped before the entrance. "Well, this is my stop. Thanks for walking with me."

Connor stopped beside her, rubbing the back of his head. "You're welcome." He paused and tried to think of how he could say this next part eloquently. He had to think fast because she started to walk away again. "Uh…Ellie?"

She stopped and looked at him again and Connor wondered if the hopeful look in her eyes was imaginary or not. "Yeah?"

"C-Can I buy you coffee sometime?" Great, he stuttered. He had to look like the biggest dork in the world to her now.

"I would like that," she replied, stepping close to him again. She pulled a pen out of her purse and gingerly grabbed his hand.

Connor's heart started to pound when he realized what she was doing. He studied her face as she concentrated on his hand. Holy crap, she was really pretty. How the hell did he manage to talk to her without becoming a mess?

She looked up at him again and Connor's earlier wondering thought about what her smile actually looked like was answered. His breath hitched in his throat at her beaming smile.

"Call me," she said with a wink.

Connor seemed frozen in place as he watched her walk away.

He couldn't believe it. He actually was able to get a girl's number without making a fool of himself. He stared down at his hand, memorizing the number as quickly as possible.

A wide grin settled on his lips as he started to make his way toward his own apartment.

His luck had done a complete 180 and he couldn't be happier.


	6. Beauty and the Beast: Part 1

**A/N: Okay! So this is an idea that has been in my head for a long time and I used this idea to get out of a writer's block and to give me a break from all of my school assignments. I kind of twisted the effects of the tea from ToKW to fit the story. I didn't change too much, I just added a few things. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>There once was a little town that sat on the coast, overlooking a beautiful bay. The town had your typical people. Lumbermen, blacksmiths, innkeepers, farmers, and many other people lived in this town, and all was peaceful.<p>

But, there was one thing that put everyone on edge in this town. On the other side of the bay, sat a large manor, and it towered above everything else around it. There was a rumor that the manor was cursed and that a monster lived within it. The people of the little town avoided that side of the bay at all costs and they continued on with their lives.

Until, that is, a man who just wanted to make his mark in the world, stumbled upon the manor.

And that, my friends, is where this story begins.

* * *

><p>Robert Faulkner was undoubtedly lost.<p>

The old sailor grumbled curses at himself and at the path before him as he tried to make his way back to Davenport. He had a god daughter to get back to and he would be damned if he didn't. Robert couldn't remember a happier time in his life before he adopted Ellie into his home. Her poor parents, who were his best friends, passed away 10 years ago and he was more than willing to take their young daughter under his wing.

Now, she was the kindest, and in his opinion, the most beautiful woman in Davenport.

His original plan for this trip was to go to the city up the coast and try to see if he could find someone who would be willing to help him rebuild his ship, _The Aquila_. The poor girl had just come back from a beating from the sea and he needed to get her repaired as soon as possible so he could get his business up and running again.

That plan was going well, that is, until he got lost on his way home.

"Damn road markers, whatever happened to repainting them every year?" Robert grumbled.

His horse's ears suddenly perked up and the mare halted in her tracks. She wouldn't even budge after Robert gave her a soft kick and a flick of the reins. The mare whickered nervously and started to step backwards from the path before her.

"What are you doing?" Robert grumbled, flicking the reins again with a sharp kick.

A deep snarl suddenly sounded from the brush of the forest and Robert's heart dropped to his feet.

Wolves.

Robert gave the mare another sharp kick and she finally obeyed and leaped forward right as the beasts leapt from the bushes.

The path became more twisted as they went along and Robert yelped in surprise when the mare suddenly reared, throwing him to the ground. Robert barely managed to keep his head from slamming into the ground too hard, but it was enough.

He used every ounce of strength he had to keep his eyes open and he tried to calmly accept his fate as the wolves drew closer. His shaky hand reached for his pistol, but he knew it would be too late.

That is, until a larger beast leaped in front of him and roared at the wolves.

Robert's vision started to go fuzzy as he saw the larger beast fight off the pack of wolves effortlessly. The last thing he saw before his vision went dark were brilliant, bright blue eyes blazing furiously at him.

* * *

><p>Ellie was worried out of her mind.<p>

The young woman paced furiously throughout her small home, wondering why her god-father hadn't returned from his trip yet. He was supposed to be back two days ago yet he was nowhere to be seen. She sighed and dusted off her apron, stepping outside.

Well, she might as well get some chores done. _He must be running late, that's all._

A churning in Ellie's stomach told her otherwise. Something was wrong.

Right as she started feeding the chickens, the sound of heavy footsteps sounded throughout the yard.

"How are you, Ellie?"

Ellie turned away from the chickens and she almost groaned.

Matthew Baker, the town's most eligible bachelor, was leaning his shoulder against the chicken coop.

"I am well, Mr. Baker."

"Aw Ellie, you don't need to be so formal around me you know?" he laughed, taking a step toward her.

Ellie gave him a warning glance. "Mr. Faulkner isn't here at the moment. You'll have to wait to do business later."

This was the third time this week he came here just to bother her. He had to be the most insufferable, pigheaded man she had ever met.

"I'm not here to do business with your father, Ellie. I'm here to see you."

"And I'm asking you to leave." She set the bucket of seed down and made her way toward the front door.

A firm grip on her elbow forced her to stop and turn toward him. "I'm actually not going to leave. Not until I can properly talk to you."

Oh bother.

Ellie held back a sigh and looked up at him. Yes, Matthew was handsome, but his pride and conceitedness made Ellie see past his face. She knew why he was here, and she wanted nothing to do with it. "And what do you want to talk about, Mr. Baker?"

"I want you to marry me, Ellie. What do you say to that?"

Ellie wondered how she could get out of this situation as smoothly as possible. Resting her hand on Matthew's shoulder, she sighed. "I'm so sorry, Matthew, but I just don't deserve you." She patted his shoulder and turned and stepped inside her house. She quickly pulled the lock on the door so he couldn't get in.

"You'll change your mind eventually, Ellie. I promise that," Matthew called out, laughing a little after the statement.

Ellie peeked out the window to see him stomping away back toward town.

"The last thing I want to be is Mrs. Baker," she grumbled, stepping outside again. She finished her chores sullenly.

She didn't want to be Mrs. Anyone. She wanted to travel the coast with her god-father and see all the places she read about. She wanted to make an impact on the world.

Unfortunately, life seemed to have a different plan for her. She walked out into the meadow near her home, sighing heavily as she plopped down in the middle and started to pick at the flowers around her.

The thundering hoof beats of a horse suddenly reached her ears and she gasped as the family mare, Dancer, raced toward her. She quickly got to her feet as fast as her dress would allow and tried to calm the mare down.

"Easy girl, easy," Ellie said in a soothing tone, finally managing to grab the horse's reins. "Where's Robert?"

The mare tossed her head and backed away, eyes rolling. Ellie frowned in confusion and glanced over her shoulder, wondering what the mare could be backing away from. The other side of the bay was the only thing that greeted her.

Biting her lip, Ellie pondered what to do. What if Robert was in trouble? Should she get someone from town or should she go herself?

Setting her lips in a firm line, Ellie finally made the decision.

She was going to get her god-father back.

* * *

><p>The woods on the other side of the bay were more ominous than Ellie had anticipated. Dancer was beginning to grow more and more nervous as they traveled further down the path.<p>

Right as she was about to give up hope, she saw what looked like Robert's pistol sitting in the middle of the path. She got off of Dancer, quickly stepping over to it. "Robert," she breathed out, gently picking it up. She saw large footprints leading toward a smaller path into the forest.

Ellie grabbed Dancer's reins and followed it. Her breath hitched in her throat when a large manor loomed in front of her.

The feeling in her gut told her that Robert just _had_ to be there.

She guided Dancer past the gate to the manor's yard and closed it behind her before tying the reins to a nearby tree. "Wait here girl," Ellie shakily ordered, patting her on the nose.

The red brick manor was taller than she first thought it was. An overwhelming feeling of sadness came over Ellie as she stepped closer and closer to it. Who could live in such a place?

Ellie gently knocked on the door and jumped when it opened almost immediately. She tentatively stepped in, wondering what in the world she got herself into.

"I should have just gotten Dave or Warren to help. No, I had to be a silly chit and come myself," she grumbled to herself, stepping further into the foyer. "Hello?" she called out.

No answer. Everything was dim and the only source of light was coming from a candelabra sitting on a nearby table. She moved further into the manor and gasped when a clattering noise and a new light appeared from the room behind the stairs.

She raced forward and looked around in confusion and fear when she saw no one there. Just another candelabra. "Is someone here?" she called out, feeling more foolish by the second. She never should have come here alone. What was she thinking?

She gasped when the candelabra suddenly dipped a little, revealing a secret door. The secret door continued to swing open and Ellie gulped as she looked into the darkness of the stairway before her.

Well, she came this far. She quickly walked back into the foyer and grabbed the other candelabra and moved back toward the secret door. Bravery started to fill her chest when she held the candelabra in front of her, letting it guide her to the bottom of the stairs.

"Whose there?!" a familiar voice called out when she reached the bottom.

"Robert!" Ellie cried out happily, moving toward the sound of his voice.

The old sailor was peering at her through the slats of a door on the other side of the basement.

"Are you alright?" Ellie asked, reaching for his hands through the openings in the door.

"Lass, you need to get out of here. It's not safe. He might be back at any moment," Robert warned, trying to shoo her away.

"No! I'm getting you out of here," Ellie argued.

Robert's eyes suddenly widened. "Get out of here Ellie!" he hissed.

"Who are you?" a soft, low voice suddenly asked.

Ellie whipped around, pressing her back against the door as she looked at the newcomer. Due to the lack of light, she couldn't really make out too much of him. All she could tell was that the man was tall, taller than any man she had ever seen.

"Please, let him go. He's my only family!"

The man huffed. "I cannot do that."

"Why not?!" Ellie snapped before she could stop herself.

"I saved his life. Now he owes me a debt. When he refused to pay it, I put him here," the man growled.

"What was the payment?"

"That is none of your concern."

"I'm making it my concern!" Ellie argued. The man who practically raised her was trapped here. She was willing to do anything.

The man tilted his head and stepped closer, but Ellie noticed he made sure to stay in the shadows. "You truly want to make it your concern? Would you be willing to pay off his debt to me?"

A shiver went down Ellie's spine at his words. She gulped down the lump of fear that was forming in her throat and she forced herself to stay calm. "What do you want?"

"You have to stay here forever."

It felt as if a heavy rock was just dropped into Ellie's stomach at his words. That was his condition?

Ellie bit her lip, and the way the man was tapping his foot told her that she didn't have much time to think about this deal. "If I do this, will you let him go?"

The man was silent for a moment before he finally answered, "Yes. He may leave, and you may never leave the manor's grounds."

Ellie's heart was now thundering in her chest and she forced her hands to not shake as they held the candelabra. "I accept," she managed to choke out.

She stepped aside as the man unlocked the door and let Robert out. Robert immediately grabbed Ellie's shoulders. "Lass, what are you thinking?! I'm old and I've lived my fair share of days! I-"

A large hand suddenly grabbed the back of Robert's coat and started to drag him toward the stairs.

"Wait!" Ellie called out, reaching for Robert.

They were gone before she could do anything else.

Ellie let the brave act drop as the door slammed shut upstairs. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

What has she done?

* * *

><p>Ratonhnhaké:ton almost could not believe his luck. He tossed the man outside of the gate, not caring about his fate now.<p>

He stalked back toward his house, trying to think of the limitless possibilities before him. Just when he had given up hope on the curse ever being broken, the answer showed up at his door.

Ratonhnhaké:ton knew the young woman had stepped onto his land before she even knew where she was. He was out in the woods, trying to avoid the manor at night like he usually did when he saw her.

He had never seen someone so beautiful in his life. And, fhe knew that she could perhaps be the answer to all of his problems. Fate seemed to be on his side when she made her way toward the manor.

He had followed her inside, using the power of the wolf to sneak by her and guide her to the secret passage to the basement. Seeing her clearly in the candlelight up close was more than he imagined. He could see that she was beautiful in the forest, but seeing her not even 10 feet away from him was an eye opening experience.

The candlelight made her green eyes twinkle, even when she looked at him in fear, which strangely unnerved him. He usually did not care if people were afraid of him or not. Her light brown, wavy hair was halfway pulled back, letting the rest fall in gentle, soft waves past her shoulders and some strands were left out to frame her face. Ratonhnhaké:ton was almost surprised to see how short she actually was. The top of her head probably would not even reach his shoulder.

Normally, he would have let them both go. He only kept the man there because he was bored and he saved him while he was using the power of the bear. He could not have cared less about whether the man owed him a debt or not.

But, the way this girl stood up to him made his heart thud in a way it never had before.

At that moment, Ratonhnhaké:ton began to think of ways to keep her there. Surprisingly, the plan he came up with worked and he almost allowed himself to feel hope again as he walked toward the manor.

"I'll come back for her! You can't hide here forever!" the man shouted after him.

Ratonhnhaké:ton rolled his eyes.

As if those towns' people stood a chance against him anyway.

He had the power of nature cursing him.

No one could stop him.

He stepped into the manor and sighed as he shut the door. How was he going to go about this now? He found a way to keep the girl here, but how was he going to make her like him?

He did not think this part through.

Silently cursing to himself, he forced himself to make his way toward the basement.

Might as well get this over with.

* * *

><p>Heavy footsteps were Ellie's only warning of the man's return. She quickly wiped away her tears and tried to stand before he reached the bottom of the stairs. She dusted off her skirts, forcing herself to put on a brave face as he stopped at the bottom. Again, he stayed in the shadows.<p>

They stared at each other for a few moments before he gestured to her. "I will show you to your room."

Ellie blinked in surprise, looking back at the small room Robert was kept in. So, she wasn't going to be a prisoner?

The man started to walk up the stairs and Ellie took a deep breath before grabbing the candelabra and following him. He led her up to the first floor and then made his way toward the front of the house. "This is your home now; you may go where you please. Except for the bedroom upstairs."

Ellie just nodded, studying the man in front of her. He truly was the biggest man she had ever seen. She could barely make out his dark, tanned skin in the faint light of her candle. He was wearing many things that looked like wraps over his dark pants and he wore tall boots. She saw the faint marks of tattoos occasionally as he walked in front of her.

Who was this person?

He stopped in front of a large door. "You can stay here. Good night."

Before she could say anything else, he began to walk away. Ellie stood in a shocked silence for many moments before she opened the door. She walked around the room, trying to find any other candles she could light as she went.

The room was large and Ellie could see a small table in the middle with what looked like a game board sitting on it. A large, four poster bed sat against the wall on one side and two, large windows overlooking the bay were on the other.

Ellie was initially confused. Why would the man give a prisoner a large, comfortable room? Then it came to her. She knew his intentions were most likely not good, but could they be worse than what she anticipated?

Stepping over to the window, the young woman started to think of a plan to get out of this mess. She probably shouldn't try to escape tonight. Or any night, for that matter. He would probably anticipate it and catch her no matter what she did. Ellie sighed and sat at the table. She knew Robert would come back for her. And, knowing him, he could easily rally people to help him.

She kept thinking about ways to escape long into the night, eventually falling asleep.

* * *

><p>Ellie was exhausted when she awoke and her cheek hurt from having it rest on the table. The sun had just risen and she held back a groan. What was she going to do? She knew she was going to run into the man again eventually.<p>

Her stomach rumbled and Ellie took a deep breath before standing and making her way toward the door.

She opened it, barely, and peeked out into the hall. No one was there and she couldn't hear anything, so she quietly stepped out of the room. Trying to stay as quiet as she could, she tip toed down the hallway until she found the kitchen.

Surprisingly, there was already some food set out on the table. It was just plain biscuits and cheese, but Ellie was pleased, nonetheless.

She quickly grabbed two biscuits and a hunk of cheese and quickly made her way back to the bedroom. She gobbled her small breakfast down and sat at the table again before mustering up the courage to go outside the room again.

Ellie saw no one as she opened the door and she shut it quietly behind her. Gulping down the lump of fear growing in her throat, she stepped toward the front door. She had left Dancer tied to the tree outside and she was sure the man didn't help the mare at all. She opened the door, looking around the grounds.

To her surprise and fear, Dancer wasn't where she left her.

A small whicker caused Ellie to look to the left of the manor and she was surprised to see Dancer standing in a stall in the barn. Ellie picked up her skirts and hurried over to the stall. When she reached the mare, she was relieved and immensely confused to find that Dancer had been rubbed down, fed, and even combed.

"Is she to your liking?"

Ellie jumped and spun around to see the man standing in the middle of the yard. He slowly stepped closer to her, stopping about 10 feet away.

Ellie didn't know whether to be thankful or suspicious…but she couldn't stop the definite feeling of curiosity as she stared at her captor.

As she noticed before, he was tall and broad. He easily stood a head taller than most of the men back at home. His dark hair was halfway pulled back, letting the rest fall at the nape of his neck. His rugged features were handsome, but what truly sparked Ellie's curiosity where the markings on his tan skin and his eyes.

His eyes were a brilliant, unnatural blue and they had an intensity about them that should have frightened her. Ellie, instead, felt even more curious and almost drawn to that intensity. Dark marks ran down from his eyes toward his sharp jawline. Another dark line went from his bottom lip to his chin and one ran down the bridge of his nose. Rings of triangles circled his powerful biceps and more triangles on lines went up his ribs. While it was strange to see a man only half dressed, she was fascinated.

Ellie realized that she was staring and mentally shook herself. "Thank you, for taking care of her."

Well, if she was going to be a semi-free prisoner, she might as well be civil with him. Ellie wanted to hate him terribly, but she couldn't find it in her heart to do so. The same sadness she felt around the manor was rolling off of him. Her almost annoying sense of empathy told her to help him. She ignored the feeling for now and tried to think of him basically putting her god father in a cage.

The man cleared his throat and held his hands behind his back, revealing more of his bare torso. "As I said before, you may go anywhere on the grounds. Just call out if you need help," he explained, turning away.

Ellie sighed and crossed her arms. What would she call out if she did want his help—which she didn't—she had to call him something, right? "What's your name?"

The man paused and glanced at her with narrowed eyes. "You will not be able to say it," he grumbled.

Ellie tapped her fingers on her arm. So this was how he was going to be? "Try me," she retorted.

The man turned back toward her and furrowed his brow. "Ratonhnhaké:ton."

Ellie played out the sounds of his name in her head and pushed some loose locks of hair behind her ear. She was happy her god-father had her learn French and German so she could help with his sailing business. Because of this, she was able to play the foreign sounds out in her mind and almost get his name right. "Well, Ratonhnhaké:ton, my name is Ellie." She paused and began to walk toward the manor again.

His surprised expression was worth the risk of angering him.

* * *

><p>Ellie was bewildered to find that the large manor didn't have as many rooms as she thought it did. There was a library and a study room upstairs. She didn't dare go toward the bedroom. And, on the first floor, there was only the kitchen, dining room, another study area, and her bedroom. She also noticed that no one else was there.<p>

"No wonder he's a grump. He lives all alone," Ellie huffed, exploring some of the many books lining the bookshelf of the library.

Ellie didn't know how long she had been in the library. There were more books here than she had seen in her lifetime. There were books on philosophy, history, and religion. While Ellie was fascinated with the amount of information in front of her, she sought out a different type of book. She finally found the novels in a shelf toward the back of the room. Most of them were either fairy tales or the folktales of the area.

It was the one that was handwritten that finally caught her attention. Ellie opened the book to find that it wrote about the stories of the native tribes. The handwriting was clear and strong looking with heavy strokes. Ellie plopped herself down on the couch in the room and began to read. Before she knew it, the room started to grow dark and she let out a sad sigh. She was in the middle of a story about a large bear and how three brothers set out to hunt it.

"Do you need a candle?"

Ellie jumped, as she looked toward the doorway. To her confusion, Ratonhnhaké:ton backed away from the door toward the other side of the room. He looked…almost ashamed.

Instead of answering his question, she set her lips in a firm line and gave him a hard look, shoving away the empathetic feeling she felt earlier that day. _This man is forcing you to stay here! He captured Robert, _she reminded herself.

"How long have you been there?" she nonchalantly asked instead, marking her place in the book and setting it down on the coffee table.

"Not long."

Ellie crossed her legs, looking away from him. Again, there was that sadness in his voice that made her feel sorry for him. She even heard it when she made her deal with him yesterday. An awkward, heavy silence overcame them. She thought about her revelation earlier. No one else lived in this house. Did this man do what he did because he was alone? Why were his eyes like that? Why did he have those markings? Was he truly bad? Ellie didn't think he was evil or bad…she believed she wouldn't feel empathetic toward him if he was. Deciding to get to the bottom of some of these questions, she mustered up the courage to finally speak.

"So, did you keep me here because you were lonely?" she finally asked.

She looked over at him and almost huffed out a laugh at the surprised look on his face.

The surprised look instantly disappeared. "No," he growled, stalking toward the opposite side of the room.

Ellie tilted her head as she watched him move. The way he walked seemed more animal than human. Was he even human? Was she dealing with a monster like in the stories she read?

Another heavy silence overcame them and Ellie knew she wasn't going to get more out of him. "I don't bite. I'm willing to talk to you if you want to. We live together now, after all. You don't have to be afraid," she huffed, standing up.

She walked toward the door having the full intention of leaving the room. She squeaked in surprise when the door shut in front of her. _How did he get there so fast?_!

Ratonhnhaké:ton had somehow managed to cross the room before she walked three steps. And he did not look thrilled either. His whole demeanor reminded her of a bristling wolf. "What made you think I was afraid?"

Ellie's knees felt like jam and it took all of her willpower to look braver than she was feeling. No, she wasn't going to feel afraid. She refused to let this man intimidate her. She wasn't going to live the rest of her life like that. Yes, he looked intimidating with his markings, eyes, and sheer size, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She had dealt with Robert's worst sailors; she can deal with this brute.

"You're truly asking me this? You have hardly talked to me and you have stood at least three paces away from me the two times I have seen you," she argued, poking his chest.

Their gazes met and Ellie refused to look away. Their stare down eventually ended with him looking away with a growl and stepping away from the door. "Good night," he grumbled, opening the door and stepping out of the room.

Ellie sighed, wiping her sweaty palms off on her dress.

"What a beast," she hissed.

* * *

><p>Ratonhnhaké:ton, unfortunately, heard her little comment, even though he was down the hallway already. This was one of the downsides of the abilities he was cursed with. His senses were heightened and he could hear things normal humans could not. That meant he could hear everything she said after he left.<p>

He berated himself for being foolish and getting angry at her. She was right, but it was not her he was afraid of. He was afraid of himself. What if he hurt her and ruined everything? What would happen if the beasts inside of him took control while he was around her?

Despite this, Ratonhnhaké:ton was feeling lighter inside. Ellie was different from any girl he had ever encountered before. Women were usually frightened of him due to his brutish looks. He scoffed inwardly at the thought. He was intimidating even before he drank the tea that cursed him.

Ellie had shown that she could stand up to him and challenge him even though she was afraid. Ratonhnhaké:ton could smell the fear rolling off of her earlier, yet she acted differently.

Ratonhnhaké:ton also realized that he would have to change if he wanted this curse to end. Yes, the powers were amazing, but it was not worth the fear he felt toward himself and for those around him. It was not worth the madness.

_Tomorrow. Tomorrow is when I will try harder_, he finally decided.


	7. Beauty and the Beast: Part 2

A week had passed before Ratonhnhaké:ton even managed to muster up the courage to talk to her again. She had made herself at home by that time and was walking around the manor freely, which he was glad to see.

He found her out in the back, sitting on one of the large rocks overlooking the bay while reading one of the books from the library. Using the power of the eagle, he swooped down from his window and landed a little behind her. He stepped heavily so she could know that he was there.

Ellie jumped in surprise and glanced over her shoulder at him. "Yes?" she asked, tilting her head.

Ratonhnhaké:ton cleared his throat before gesturing to the boulder. "May I join you?"

Ellie narrowed her eyes, but she eventually scooted over to give him room.

Ratonhnhaké:ton sat down and looked out at the sea, occasionally glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She had started to read her book again and would reach up and tuck her hair behind her ear when the wind blew it into her face.

Ratonhnhaké:ton knew she had read the book of stories from his people. He had written it himself and he recognized it immediately when he found her in the library a week ago. Did she know of his curse then?

The wind coming in from the sea blew her scent toward him and Ratonhnhaké:ton felt lightheaded. She smelled like paper and the sweet spices she used to bake with. It was intoxicating.

"Would you mind if I started a garden out here?" she suddenly asked.

He could sense the nervousness in her and he inwardly flinched. She truly was frightened of him. Not that he could blame her.

"It's just…I found some seeds out in the barn the other day and it would give me something to do and-"

"You may. You can do anything you want," Ratonhnhaké:ton said softly.

Ellie looked up at him and Ratonhnhaké:ton suddenly realized how green her eyes actually were in the sunlight. She bit her lip and she looked away. "Can I take Dancer out for a ride every now and then too? You're welcome to join if you want to make sure I come back and-"

"That is alright."

Ellie's surprised look instantly turned suspicious. "I can?"

Ratonhnhaké:ton sighed and looked away from her. "I have no ill intentions for you…you were correct about why I kept you here." He just wanted her to stop being scared of him. If he could manage that, it would be perfect.

Ellie tilted her head as she studied him, Ratonhnhaké:ton found the action intriguing. "So, you were lonely," she finally stated.

Ratonhnhaké:ton cleared his throat and looked away. He hated admitting it, and she was not making it easy either.

"You could have just said so," she said softly, laughing a little. "Now, I'm going to take Dancer out for a ride. You're welcome to join."

She put the small book in the pocket of her dress and made her way toward the stables. Ratonhnhaké:ton stood as well and followed her. He watched in fascination as she was able to quickly get the saddle on the mare easily. He thought that her small stature would have made it difficult for her.

"Oh, do you not have any other horses here?" she asked, looking around.

Ratonhnhaké:ton scoffed. "I do not need one."

Ellie arched a brow before shrugging and pulling herself up into the saddle. "Well, I hope you can keep up!" she laughed, flicking the reins.

She and the mare flew down the path toward the front of the house and Ratonhnhaké:ton almost laughed before anger bubbled up in his gut.

She was in for a surprise if she was trying to escape.

* * *

><p>Ellie had never felt so alive. She was almost to the river when she finally slowed down. She looked behind her and was surprised to find that Ratonhnhaké:ton wasn't right behind her.<p>

"You were foolish to run."

She looked and squeaked in surprise to find him standing in front of the bridge that went over the river. His arms were crossed and he didn't look pleased in the least.

Well, maybe her galloping away did have the potential to give the wrong idea. "I wasn't trying to run away," she replied, sitting taller in the saddle.

Well, he said he had no ill intentions earlier. And he hasn't tried to hurt her or anything so far. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Then why-"

"I wanted to see if you were lying about needing a horse or not. It's called having fun," she joked, gently flicking the reins so Dancer would step closer to him. She looked down at him from her saddle and smiled. She then tilted her head and asked, "How did you get down here so fast?"

He stiffened and Ellie immediately regretted asking. Ratonhnhaké:ton sighed and looked away. "That is not important. Where do you want to go?"

Ellie's worry vanished and she gestured toward the cliff in the distance. "I just wanted to go there and back. That seems like a decent ride."

Ratonhnhaké:ton nodded and started to walk across the bridge. He looked at her over his shoulder with a grin that strangely reminded her of a wolf. Her breath caught in her throat as well. He didn't look as scary when he smiled. "You might want to get a head start," he warned, taking off into the woods.

Ellie gasped in surprise at his sheer speed before her competitive side took over. She flicked the reins and took off after him. It was strange to ride along and occasionally see a flash of brown show up in the trees. So, he wasn't completely human. Ellie came to that conclusion earlier that week. She didn't know what that meant completely, though. There was a story in that first book she found that gave her a clue, but she wanted him to tell her if it was or not on his own for some reason.

They stopped by the cliff and Ellie dismounted so Dancer could rest a little. Ratonhnhaké:ton appeared nearby, sitting on a boulder at the base of the cliff. "How are you so fast?" she breathed out, leading Dancer toward him.

"I already told you. That is not important."

Ellie pouted and put her hands on her hips. "Well, I think it's important."

He actually grinned and Ellie found her breath hitching in her throat again.

Ratonhnhaké:ton suddenly stiffened and stood up, looking at the area around them. A growling sound erupted from him and Ellie flinched at the sound.

"Get on the horse and get back to the manor," he ordered, crouching down.

"Why do I—"

"Just do it!" he ordered. Before Ellie could do anything, wolves suddenly leapt at them from the brush.

Ratonhnhaké:ton leaped forward and shoved the one that was leaping toward Dancer away. "Go!" he roared.

Ellie scrambled into the saddle and took off toward the manor. The howls of the wolves followed her the whole way. Right as she reached the bridge, more wolves appeared out of the bushes and leaped at Dancer.

Ellie screamed as Dancer reared. She felt herself slipping out of the saddle and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Doing what Robert taught her to do, Ellie made sure to land on her back and not let her head hit the ground. A wolf sprung at her and Ellie managed to roll away and it only clamped its teeth down on the skirts of her dress.

A loud, booming snarl suddenly sounded out and Ellie gasped and covered her head when the wolf was thrown away.

She slowly looked up and her jaw dropped at the sight before her. A new wolf was standing in front of her now, growling furiously. Its dark brown fur bristled along its spine as it glared at the other wolves. Ellie instantly knew who it was when she managed to get a look at the wolf's eyes. They were an unnatural blue.

So, the legend in the book she read was true.

The wolf snapped at another wolf that happened to come to close. The pack finally realized that they were outmatched and they started to back away slowly.

The large wolf snarled and that was it for the other wolves. They took off into the forest, yipping and howling.

The wolf turned and looked at her and Ellie finally managed to push herself upright. The wolf was still taller than her, even though she was sitting up straight on the ground. Before she realized what she was doing, she reached out and touched the fur that was still bristling on the wolf's neck.

The wolf whined and turned his head toward her, nudging her arm a little.

"Sorry," she mumbled, quickly pulling her hand away.

The wolf snorted and nudged her leg with its nose, gesturing toward her skirts.

Ellie suddenly realized what he was trying to ask. "Oh! I'm alright. That brute only tore my dress."

The wolf huffed and started to pad toward the manor. Ellie stood up and snapped, "I can't go back there yet! Where's Dancer?"

The wolf paused and barked, looking toward the manor again.

"Are you sure she's there?"

The wolf barked again.

"Oh fine! You better be right."

Ellie hurried forward and caught up with the wolf. They walked side by side up to the manor. Ellie wondered what they must have looked like. She guessed that she looked like one of the wild girls from one of her story books walking next to such a large wolf. The top of his head reached above her hip.

She almost laughed at the thought. They finally made it back to the manor and sure enough, Dancer was racing around the small yard in front of the barn.

"Easy girl," Ellie soothed, barely managing to catch the mare's reins.

Dancer wasn't having it. The mare easily pulled away from Ellie and started to run around the yard again, eyes rolling wildly.

Ratonhnhaké:ton suddenly appeared and caught the reins, speaking lowly in a language Ellie didn't understand.

She looked around and the wolf was gone. _So, it was him. I'm not going insane._

Dancer, surprisingly, calmed down and was now whickering at the tall man.

Even though Ellie was grateful for all he did, she decided it was finally time for answers. She marched forward and poked his arm. "We are going to go inside and you're going to explain some things to me. No exceptions."

Ratonhnhaké:ton looked down at her sadly before he began to lead Dancer toward her stall. "Very well."

Ellie was surprised that he agreed so easily. She shook the feeling away and made her way into the manor.

She plopped down in one of the dining room chairs, tapping her fingers on the table as she waited for him to come inside. Ratonhnhaké:ton finally walked in and he sat down across from her.

"Tell me everything. Now," Ellie ordered.

Ratonhnhaké:ton looked down and set his clasped hands on the table. "What do you want to know?"

Ellie barked out a laugh. "Like I said; everything. I want to know why you're like this? How did it happen? Why do you shut yourself out in the middle of the woods? Why—"

"I became this way after I drank the tea of the willow," he began. "I wanted to avenge my mother's death by finding her murderers. I wasn't strong enough to do that when I was younger, so I went to the great willow tree, despite my grandmother's orders."

Ellie's irritation instantly left her. "So the story in the book was true?"

Ratonhnhaké:ton smiled sadly. "Yes, the legend of the tea is true."

Ellie didn't know what to think. She thought the stories were just that; stories. The story she was thinking of was the one of the Great Willow. The willow's bark had the ability to give the powers of nature to whoever drank the tea made from it. The person could also transform into the animal they met. Ellie recalled that the abilities of the wolf also included speed and the ability to move around unseen.

These abilities had a downfall, though. The person would soon lose themselves after drinking the tea, becoming more beast than human.

"This is unbelievable. I have seen it with my own eyes and I still cannot comprehend it," she said in awe. She was confused, though. Ratonhnhaké:ton should only have the markings on his face if he only met the wolf…which meant. "You drank the tea more than once, didn't you?"

An ashamed look reached Ratonhnhaké:ton's features as he looked away. "Yes. The men who killed my mother proved to be stronger than I thought. So I drank the tea two more times. I finally avenged my mother after doing so."

Ellie gulped and crossed her arms. "It's obvious that you met the wolf…what are the others?"

Ratonhnhaké:ton gestured to the markings on his ribs and arms. "These are the markings of the eagle." He then gestured toward his eyes. "This is the sign of the bear."

Ellie then noticed something off about his shoulder. Bright red blood was still oozing out of a bite mark on it. She quickly stood up with a gasp. "You're hurt! Why didn't you say anything?! Here I was yelling at you to tell me everything and you were hurt this whole time!"

She kept rambling on as she quickly stepped toward the bucket of water she drew this morning and filled a bowl.

"You don't have to—"

"You saved my life. So, yes, I do," Ellie argued, reaching for a rag. She set them on the table and dipped the rag into the water.

He hissed a little as she dabbed at the wound, but other than that, he didn't flinch. "The book mentioned a way to do away with the powers. What is it?"

He stiffened underneath her touch. "I…do not know. The legend passed down among my people explains it in a vague way."

Ellie bit her lip as she kept cleaning the wound. It wasn't as bad as she thought it was and she might have overreacted a little, but she didn't care. "Thank you…by the way. I probably would have died if you weren't there."

His bright, blue eyes met hers and they stared at each other for many moments before he finally said, "You are welcome."

* * *

><p>Ratonhnhaké:ton almost could not believe his luck. After the day Ellie discovered his curse, they had become close friends quickly. He was more than happy to spend time around her too.<p>

Ever since she boldly reached out and touched him in his wolf form, his heart had started to thud in a strange way whenever he was around her. He never acted on this feeling, though. He just stayed quiet and helped her with whatever project she was doing.

He helped her start the garden she wanted. Then she managed to talk him into rearranging the books in the library, which took hours but it was worth seeing her get excited about the various books there.

Ellie loved to ask questions and learn, too. She asked about the man who used to own this manor, and Ratonhnhaké:ton was more than happy to speak of Achilles. The old man had left the manor to him, despite the fact he knew that Ratonhnhaké:ton could possibly lose his sanity to the curse of the tea.

Ellie also asked about his people. She even convinced him to start teaching her their language. And that was where he found himself on a beautiful spring day with her underneath one of the large trees in the manor's yard.

"The phonetics of these words are tricky, but I believe I can figure it out," she said, looking determined. They had been learning one phrase at a time, since Ratonhnhaké:ton's people did not truly have a written alphabet.

Ratonhnhaké:ton huffed out a laugh and flopped down onto his back, enjoying the feel of the cool grass on his skin. "We have been doing this for hours. Let's do something else."

Ellie tilted her head—an action Ratonhnhaké:ton had come to love seeing—as she hummed in thought. "What do you suggest then? All the chores are already done."

Ratonhnhaké:ton rolled his eyes. Even if he knew what he wanted to do, the chores she magically came up with while she was here was not one of them. "Do you know how to swim?"

Ellie's eyes widened comically. "What? No. Girls usually are not allowed to."

Ratonhnhaké:ton sat up, staring at her in confusion. "Why not?"

Ellie let out a laugh. "It's not proper. Besides, why would we be near the water? The only reason I ever got near the river was to do laundry."

"Your people are strange," Ratonhnhaké:ton huffed, standing up. He held out his hand and helped her to her feet. "I would be glad to teach you."

Ellie tapped her chin as she thought about it. "Hold on." She hurried inside and Ratonhnhaké:ton stared after her in bewilderment. What could she possibly need?

It was many minutes later before she stepped out the door. "I found these in one of the drawers the other day. Looks like they'll be put to good use after all," she said happily.

Ratonhnhaké:ton was speechless. She had put on an old shirt and some pants that Achilles had given him years ago. The sleeves were much too long, and the pants were rolled many times to fit her short legs, but she looked beautiful to him still. He shook his shock away and started to walk toward the river. "I am glad you found those. There will be less fabric holding you down."

Ellie followed him and she asked questions the whole way, like he knew she would. "So are we going to start small? I don't know if I'll like being too far out into the water. I—"

Even though he loved how she rambled, it still got a little annoying to Ratonhnhaké:ton occasionally. But, it was one of the many quirks about Ellie that made her Ellie and Ratonhnhaké:ton decided that he liked everything about her.

He had lied when he told her he did not know how to break the tea's curse. He knew the answer, but he was not going to tell her. The curse can only be broken when one can tame the beast inside. His people have had stories of this successfully happening. These stories involved the cursed one falling in love and having that person they loved loving them in return. This was hard to do, though, because of the unpredictability of the cursed person's mental state.

Ratonhnhaké:ton rarely felt the madness, but that did not mean it did not exist. He knew it was unfair to keep how to break the curse from Ellie, but he did not want her to be afraid of him. Nor did he want her to say she cared for him out of sympathy. The love had to be true, not empathetic. And so, this was Ratonhnhaké:ton's dilemma. He knew he truly cared for the little woman walking beside him, but he had no idea how to make her care for him in return.

He had come upon this realization after she had been in the manor for a month. She was teaching him how to cook something her mother taught her to make years ago. He could not even remember what she was making he was so focused on her.

He was more focused on the way she tucked her hair behind her ear. And the way she tilted her head when she looked at him caused his heart to flutter anytime he saw it. And the way her eyes crinkled up when she smiled or laughed always made him feel happy. He noticed that her hands never stayed still either. Her fingers would tap as she read her book and they always moved swiftly with whatever task she was doing.

He also loved her voice. It was a lower pitch and it reminded him of his mother. That was not the reason he loved it, though. It was always kind, even when she was scolding him. Her voice soothed him and he could not remember feeling more relaxed than he did when she read the books aloud to him.

He loved her. He loved her kindness and everything else about her and knew she probably would never love him in return.

Despite this, he was happy. He was happier than he could ever remember being and it was all because of her.

They finally made it down to the river and Ratonhnhaké:ton did not hesitate to jump into the water. This day was warmer than usual and the cool water was refreshing.

He turned so that he was facing her and held out his hands. "Do not worry. I will help you."

Ellie took a deep breath before pulling off the boots she had slipped on and she tentatively stuck her toes in the water. She squealed and let out a laugh as she shivered. "How can you stand this?! It's freezing!" she laughed, finally putting her whole foot in.

"I just do," he chuckled.

She shuffled out far enough to grasp his hands and Ratonhnhaké:ton's heart fluttered at the contact. He shook the feeling away and he focused on the task at hand. He started to slowly step backwards toward the deeper part of the river, pulling her with him.

Her grip on his hands tightened as the water started to lap around her waist. Ratonhnhaké:ton's heart clenched at the fearful look on her face and he gently squeezed her hands. "I got you. Nothing bad will happen."

Ellie took a deep breath and let him pull her further into the water. Her eyes suddenly widened when the water reached her upper chest. "I can't touch! Ratonhnhaké:ton, I—"

"It is alright. Just kick."

She started to kick and Ratonhnhaké:ton was able to easily help her stay afloat. She beamed at him when she was able to successfully do it for many moments. "I'm swimming!"

Ratonhnhaké:ton almost did not know what to do with himself. She looked so happy and it filled him with joy. "Ellie, do you trust me?"

She gave him a look of confusion. "Yes, why?"

"Because I am going to let you do this alone now. I will be right here," he said.

Instead of the fear he was anticipating, her brow furrowed in determination. "Alright."

Ratonhnhaké:ton slowly let go of her hands and let her try on her own. Ellie proved to be a quick learner and before Ratonhnhaké:ton knew it, she was able to paddle around without difficulty.

"This is so much fun! I can see why you wanted to do it now," she giggled.

Ratonhnhaké:ton rolled his eyes and dove beneath the water. He waited until he could hear her call out his name in confusion before he pushed off the bottom of the river and popped up right next to her.

She squealed in surprise and splashed him playfully, laughing.

An unfamiliar, playful feeling bubbled up inside of Ratonhnhaké:ton and he returned the splash. Soon, they were having a full out war. Ellie suddenly swam to where she could touch the bottom and she started to run away from him. Unfortunately for her, he had the advantage with his longer legs. He quickly caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up with ease. She shrieked with laughter as he leapt into the deeper part of the water.

When they surfaced, she gasped in surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck in fear. Ratonhnhaké:ton realized that he was in a significantly deeper part of the river and she probably was not comfortable. He quickly swam to where he could touch. "I got you," he whispered.

He suddenly realized how close their faces were and his heart started to race in his chest. Her mouth was open and Ratonhnhaké:ton could feel the soft puffs of her breath on his face. Their gazes met and Ratonhnhaké:ton suddenly did not have control of himself. His grip around her waist tightened and he reached up and gently buried his fingers in her hair as he pressed his mouth to hers.

To his surprise, Ellie tightened her own grip around his neck and returned the kiss. His eyes slowly closed and Ratonhnhaké:ton let himself get lost in this moment. The rush he felt from the kiss was similar to the one he felt when he flew as an eagle, but intensified infinitely.

Her soft, gentle hands moved to cup his face and Ratonhnhaké:ton moved his hand from her hair and wrapped it around her waist with his other arm, pulling her body closer to his. They both pulled away, gasping for air, and Ratonhnhaké:ton's eyes met hers again. She grinned and pulled his lips toward hers again and Ratonhnhaké:ton could feel her smiling into the kiss.

The kiss was hungry, yet sweet at the same time and Ratonhnhaké:ton wondered how that was even possible. He pushed the thought aside and focused entirely on the woman in his arms. Ellie pulled away again and her fingers gently stroked through his hair. "Ratonhnhaké:ton," she whispered, grinning.

Ratonhnhaké:ton's heart was thundering in his chest and his eyes widened when a raw, overwhelming need took over him. Without saying another word, he tossed her away from him, gulping in air. _No! No! NO! Not now!_ he begged to himself.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton?!"

"Get away! Get back to the manor!" he managed to growl.

"Is it happening again?"

"Go!"

He could feel his body start to change, despite his pleading. The power of the wolf overcame him and he quickly swam to the opposite shore as her. He had to get away. He had to get far away from her before the beast's mind took over. He would die before he hurt her.

Ratonhnhaké:ton dared to pause as he stepped out of the water as a wolf. He looked across the river to see Ellie standing on the other side, looking at him with worry. The look caused his heart to sink.

He let out a mournful howl before taking off into the forest.

* * *

><p>Ellie didn't know what to think anymore. She had seen the curse take over Ratonhnhaké:ton before. The first time it happened was when they were working on the garden one day and the power of the bear appeared. Ellie remembered watching in terror from inside the manor as the largest bear she had ever seen lumbered off into the forest.<p>

Ratonhnhaké:ton had told her that these moments can come at any time without warning and that he would try to get away if they did.

Ellie huffed to herself as she walked up to the manor. "That bloody curse couldn't have had worse timing," she grumbled.

She had noticed that she was developing new feelings for Ratonhnhaké:ton for the past couple weeks. At first, Ellie thought of Ratonhnhaké:ton as a close friend. Then she noticed how he was looking at her while she was reading aloud to him one day. It was only for a moment, but it was enough to get her heart to start fluttering in her chest.

Ratonhnhaké:ton was looking at her like she was the most wonderful thing on the earth.

It was enough to get her to start thinking of him in a different way. Now that she had gotten to know him, she discovered that he actually was a kind hearted person. She started to see the man that was there before the curse. She noticed how soft spoken he truly was and how that one minded intensity that she noticed in his eyes went toward everything he did. Ratonhnhaké:ton gave everything his all and he never held back.

He also was intelligent and she was happy when she found that she could have conversations with him about the books on philosophy and history he owned.

She also was starting to see his rugged, handsome features in a different way as well. His high cheek bones and broad nose fit right in with his sharp jawline and it contrasted with how big and wide his eyes were and how soft his lips looked.

She was also glad to know that his hair was as silky as it looked, even when it was wet.

Ratonhnhaké:ton had somehow burrowed his way into her heart and she had no idea what to do about it. What was she going to do when he returned?

Ellie sighed as she stepped into the manor. Well, she should at least dry off and change before worrying about it.

* * *

><p>Ratonhnhaké:ton hated changing back after the beast took over. The sensation usually only felt strange, but it was painful after changing unwillingly. He gasped in air as soon as his lungs returned to normal and he groaned in pain as his body finished changing. He had made it back close to the manor, at least.<p>

Ratonhnhaké:ton finally managed to push himself to his feet and he started to wearily walk toward the front door of the manor.

Ellie must hate him now for what happened. She probably never wanted to see him again. He would not have been surprised if he found the manor empty. His heart felt like it was being ripped apart at the thought. What would he do if she was not there? He did not even want to think about it.

The opposite happened. Instead of an empty manor, he opened the door to the smell of one of Ellie's stews and the sound of her humming in the kitchen.

He silently made his way toward the kitchen and peered around the entryway.

Ratonhnhaké:ton's heart felt too big for his chest as he just watch her chop away at whatever was on her cutting board. She did not pull her hair back after their swim and she was letting it fall freely around her shoulders in soft waves. Her intoxicating scent overwhelmed his senses and he forgot why he was anxious. All he could feel was joy for a moment.

The anxiety came back with a kick when she turned and looked at him. Now that she has seen him again, surely she must be having doubts about being around him.

Her eyes widened in surprise at first before they softened and stared at him in sympathy.

"Are you alright?" she quietly asked, setting her knife down.

Before he could say anything, she was walking across the kitchen and reaching up to gently touch his cheek. Ratonhnhaké:ton almost could not believe this was happening. She was accepting him, even after what happened in the river.

Instead of saying anything, he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on her head. He just needed to hold her. He needed nothing else. "I am sorry," he finally whispered.

Ellie let out a soft laugh and Ratonhnhaké:ton sighed when he felt her gentle hands resting on his back as she returned his hug. "Why are you sorry? You can't control it."

He stepped away and spluttered as he tried to come up with everything wrong he did.

Ellie, instead of berating him, just giggled and tugged on his braid. "Come on. I need your help with the stew. I have a couple more vegetables to chop before it's done." She smiled up at him before stepping away and walking back to the counter.

Ratonhnhaké:ton felt his jaw slowly drop as he just stared at her. She was staying?

He walked with a new hop in his step as he made his way toward the counter.

Maybe there was hope for him after all.

Who would have thought that it would come in the form of the tiny, kind, beautiful girl next to him?

* * *

><p>Ratonhnhaké:ton just seemed happier and happier each day and Ellie had no idea what to make of it. It made her happy as well, though, and she wasn't about to complain.<p>

Her beast of a man was affectionate, too.

He sometimes reminded her of the various animals he could turn into while he was being affectionate as well.

Ellie curled up against his side when she read aloud to him now and he always wrapped an arm around her and kept her close like a bear would. And when they kissed, he would playfully nip her lips or her ear like a wolf. And the look he gave her always made her heart soar like an eagle.

There was one thing that did enter her mind occasionally, despite how happy she was.

She had not seen her god father or friends in almost three months. She missed them all terribly, but she also didn't want to leave Ratonhnhaké:ton.

Ratonhnhaké:ton always seemed to know what she was thinking though. He said the words she never wanted to hear one night at dinner. "You miss your home…don't you?"

Ellie looked up at him and tried to give him a convincing smile. "Well, yes, but I'm happy here as well."

Ratonhnhaké:ton didn't look like he believed her. He suddenly stood up from his spot at the table and walked over to her. He knelt down beside her, taking her hands in his. "Ellie…I do not want you to be unhappy. Please answer me truthfully. Do you want to go home?"

Ellie bit her lip as she looked into his eyes. All of that one minded intensity was on her and she knew that she should answer truthfully. She reached up and rested her hand on his cheek, lightly rubbing at a tiny scar on his cheekbone with her thumb. "Ratonhnhaké:ton, believe me when I say I am happy with you…but I would like to be able to visit my friends."

Ratonhnhaké:ton looked away and Ellie's heart almost broke at his expression. "Ratonhnhaké:ton?"

"I release you. You are no longer bound to stay here," he said quietly, standing up.

Ellie looked up at him in confusion. "Are you…sending me away?"

Ratonhnhaké:ton sighed and stepped away from her. It reminded her of the way he used to shy away from her when she first started staying here. "You deserve more than this. More than me." He paused and looked away. "It was selfish of me to keep you here, and I can never make that up to you."

Ellie felt irritated instantly. "How do you know what is good for me or not? Yes, I would be happy to visit my friends but what makes you think I won't come back?" She stood up and marched over to him, cupping his face in her hands. "I am happy here, you fool."

Ratonhnhaké:ton pulled away from her hands. "Do you want that? To visit your friends?"

Ellie knew where this was going and she also knew she wasn't going to win if she didn't do it. "Will you stop acting like this if I do?"

Ratonhnhaké:ton narrowed his eyes before sighing and resting his hands on either side of her neck, gently rubbing her jaw with his thumbs. Ellie's heart fluttered at the sensation. His eyes were now soft and caring as he said, "Yes, I will."

Ellie reached up on the tips of her toes and pecked him on the lips. "Then I'll go."

Ratonhnhaké:ton stared at her for many moments before pressing a long kiss to her forehead. "And I will be here."

* * *

><p>Davenport barely changed since the last time Ellie left. Strangely, though, the town seemed almost deserted. She stopped Dancer in front of her house and quickly dismounted. What was going on?<p>

She hurried to her door and opened it. "Robert?!"

The tap of wood and the heavy footsteps she knew so well entered the room. Robert's eyes widened in shock. "Ellie? What are you doing here?"

Ellie couldn't stop the joy rising in her chest and she hugged him before saying anything. "I missed you so much!"

Robert suddenly stepped out of her embrace. "Lass, how did you escape? How are you here?"

Ellie suddenly remembered how she met Ratonhnhaké:ton in the first place. "Oh Robert, it was all a big misunderstanding. He was just lonely. He's the only one in that manor after all."

"That monster was lonely? That's why he forced you to stay?!"

Ellie's heart sunk at the word 'monster'. That was the last thing she would call Ratonhnhaké:ton. "Robert, he let me go! He truly is kind and caring and—"

Robert suddenly grabbed her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Are you in your right mind?"

Ellie frowned and huffed. "Yes, I am! He truly is not a monster Robert! Why do you think I stayed there for as long as I did?"

Robert furrowed his brow. "You mean…you could have left?"

Ellie shrugged. "Ratonhnhaké:ton wouldn't have stopped me. You must believe me, Robert."

Robert sighed and plopped down into a dining chair. "Lass, I have horrible news for you then."

Ellie's heart sunk even more. "What do you mean?"

Robert looked up at her wearily. "That Baker boy was finally able to gather all of the men that were willing to fight that man. They were all too scared when I asked them."

"Oh no," Ellie whispered, bringing her hands up to her mouth. She knew that Ratonhnhaké:ton could handle a fight, but against a whole town's worth of men? No one could win.

Ellie quickly hurried to the door. "I have to stop them!"

"Hold on Lass! I'm coming too!"

* * *

><p>Ratonhnhaké:ton knew that the past two months were too good to be true. He could hear the men of Davenport coming.<p>

As soon as he heard the racket with his human ears, he immediately went into his wolf form and went out into the forest.

Ellie must have told them to come…there was no other reason why they would.

Instead of the anger he wanted to feel, sadness only formed. Was it all a trick to get him to let her go?

It did not matter anymore.

If these villagers did not kill him, the curse eventually would.

He sat on his haunches, waiting patiently for his end.

That was before the mind of the beast took over without warning.

* * *

><p>Ellie was distraught when she reached the manor. She could tell that there was a large fight. Some men were lying on the ground, groaning in pain and clutching at various parts of their bodies. No one seemed to be dead or gravely injured though. She quickly raced toward one of her close friends, Clipper, while Robert checked on the other men.<p>

"Clipper!"

Clipper looked up at her in shock. "Ellie?! We thought you were dead when we couldn't find you!"

Ellie gripped his hand. "Clipper, where did he go?"

"Who?"

"The man with the markings on him?!"

Clipper's eyes widened. "What man? All we found was a crazed wolf! Biggest bastard I've ever seen."

Ellie felt the blood drain from her face. There was only one way to get Ratonhnhaké:ton to fight back against these men. The beast must have taken control. "Where did the wolf go?"

"I dunno. The beast ran off after doing this to us and Matthew chased after it."

Ellie pressed a kiss to Clipper's cheek. "Thank you, Clipper. I'll stop him."

She raced over to Dancer and jumped up into the saddle, taking off down the hill. She followed the sound of shouts and gunshots. Men from the town were running away from a specific area and Ellie made sure to go toward it.

Then she heard the snarling.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton," she whispered, urging Dancer to go faster.

She leapt out of the saddle when she reached the cliffs were she and Ratonhnhaké:ton first rode to two months ago.

Matthew Baker and Ratonhnhaké:ton's wolf form were circling around each other. Matthew had his gun drawn and pointed at Ratonhnhaké:ton. Ellie raced forward with a shout and shoved the gun away right as Matthew pulled the trigger. The shot went wide and Ratonhnhaké:ton surged forward, snarling.

"Ellie! What are you—"

Ellie ignored him and stood her ground against the wolf racing toward her. "Ratonhnhaké:ton!"

The wolf skidded to a halt and started to pace in front of her, whining one moment and snarling the next. The bright blue eyes switched from being pleading to wild with the sounds. Ellie's heart dropped at the sight in front of her.

Ratonhnhaké:ton's dark pelt was drenched with blood on his shoulder and back leg and Ellie immediately knew they were gunshot wounds. He also was stepping with a limp. She knew he must have been fighting extremely hard to keep the beast at bay.

Without thinking, she knelt down and reached forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, digging her fingers into his thick fur. She immediately was reminded of his hair. "Come back to me, Ratonhnhaké:ton," she begged, burying her face into his neck.

The change was smoother than she imagined it would be, Ratonhnhaké:ton never let her see it in the past. She could feel the fur retracting and the bones and muscles replacing themselves underneath her fingers, but she never let go.

Soon, she was met with the familiar touch of his skin and his own unique scent that reminded her of pine needles and leather filled her senses. "Ellie?"

Ellie pulled away and pushed some loose strands of hair from his face. "Hey," she laughed softly, smiling at him.

He reached up and cupped her cheek. "You came back?"

"Of course I did. I couldn't let them hurt you," she managed to croak out past the lump forming in her throat.

His surprised look turned into the soft grin she knew and Ellie's heart started to lift again.

The moment was shattered when a gunshot rang out and all of his weight suddenly sagged forward.

Ellie gasped and looked to see blood oozing from a wound in his side. She gently tried to put Ratonhnhaké:ton on the ground, holding back her gasps of panic.

"No. No no no no no no no! Ratonhnhaké:ton!"

"He deserved it."

Ellie glared up at Matthew, who looked pleased with himself.

"He was a monster. He deserves the slow death I'm giving him."

A gurgling sound came from Ratonhnhaké:ton and Ellie quickly turned her attention back to him. "Ratonhnhaké:ton, stay with me. You're going to be okay," she shakily said.

Ratonhnhaké:ton shook his head, reaching up and touching her face again. "I'm glad I got to see you…" he paused and gulped. "One last time."

His hand fell and Ellie didn't know what to do as she stared at his face. The blue in his eyes seemed to dim more and more by the second.

"No, don't go," Ellie quietly sobbed. She cupped his face in her hands and pressed her forehead against his. "I love you, you can't go yet."

His eyes finally closed and Ellie heard a small sigh escape from his lips.

Ellie sat up a little and her lip quivered as she stared down at Ratonhnhaké:ton's still body. No, this couldn't be happening. Her whole body started to shake as she tried to keep the sobs in.

Matthew made a sound of disgust. "Why are you mourning him? He kept you a prisoner."

Ellie's fingers tightened into fists as she glared at the young man behind her. "Just. Leave," she growled.

"You actually care about this monster?"

"Leave!" Ellie screeched, leaning over Ratonhnhaké:ton's body again. She couldn't stop the sobs now.

She eventually heard Matthew leave and she openly wept over the man she loved.

* * *

><p>Ratonhnhaké:ton felt like he was floating.<p>

He was back in the spirit journey. How was he here? He did not drink the tea. The only thing he could remember was…

"Ellie!" he shouted, looking around desperately.

For the first time ever, he was able to pull himself out of the beast's mind and it was all because he heard her. She had asked him to come back to her and he forced himself to be sane again.

A bark caused him to look over his shoulder and he stiffened when he saw a wolf, an eagle, and a bear standing behind him.

_You are free_, a melody of voices said in his head.

Now, he was falling.

* * *

><p>A hissing noise forced Ellie to open her eyes and look around. She had thrown herself on Ratonhnhaké:ton's chest, trying to convince herself that this was all a dream. She looked down and gasped when the markings on Ratonhnhaké:ton's skin started to glow.<p>

She scurried back, watching in awe as the markings slowly melted away. A faint glow was also coming from behind his eyelids. Ellie's jaw dropped when she saw the gunshot wounds start to slowly close up.

What was happening?

Soon, the marks were gone and all of Ratonhnhaké:ton's wounds were healed.

Ellie reached forward, gently touching the skin of his arm.

She yelped when he suddenly surged forward, coughing.

She scurried back, wondering if she had gone mad.

Ratonhnhaké:ton looked down at his hands before looking at her. Instead of the brilliant, cold blue gaze she was used to, she was met with soft, warm brown eyes.

"Ellie?" he softly breathed out, tentatively reaching forward with his hand.

Ellie crawled forward and let him touch her face. "Ratonhnhaké:ton?"

He grinned and Ellie immediately knew she wasn't dreaming. She let out a laugh of joy and surged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed kisses to wherever she could all over his face and her heart leapt when his arms wrapped around her waist.

No, she couldn't possibly be dreaming.

She finally pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. "How?" she shakily laughed, running her thumbs across his cheekbones.

He beamed up at her and her heart melted at the sight. "You," he replied, pulling her down for a kiss.

Ellie wasn't going to accept that answer, but she was too busy kissing back to care.

* * *

><p>"So you had to love someone and have them love you in return to stop the curse? You could have just told me silly!" Ellie laughed.<p>

Ratonhnhaké:ton rolled his eyes. "Yes, and you would have said you loved me out of sympathy. That is not good enough."

He honestly did not care that she was asking so many questions. She was here, and he never felt more human in his life. That had its downsides, though. Ratonhnhaké:ton had never felt more sore in his life and it was because he did not have the curse to weaken the pain.

He welcomed it with open arms.

It was a reminder that he was free from the curse for good.

And that was how he found himself with one arm draped over Ellie's shoulders and the other draped over Dancer's saddle.

His heart had never felt so light and it was all because of Ellie.

She kept rambling on about how silly he was to keep the cure for the curse from her and he just looked down at her lovingly.

"Konnorónhkwa," he said softly, interrupting her.

Ellie's rambling stopped and she looked up at him with an equally loving look. "I love you, too."

And Ratonhnhaké:ton was happy to say they lived happily ever after.


End file.
